Rising demand to boost maize production
Maize plantation and production are expected to grow further in fiscal 2017-18 on expectation of a hike in demand for feed from the poultry and aquaculture industries, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said recently.
Cultivation of the grain, also known as corn, may rise 8 percent to 4.4 lakh hectares next fiscal year, while production is expected to be 31 lakh tonnes.
“This increase in planted area reflects farmers' desire to utilise the less fertile sandy soil (char land),” said USDA in its report on grains and feed in Bangladesh.
Production of the grain is estimated to rise 8 percent to 28 lakh tonnes this fiscal year, according to the agency.
Maize is now the second biggest cereal after rice in Bangladesh, relegating wheat to the third position with production hovering around 13 lakh tonnes a year.
Since the start of commercial farming of maize in Bangladesh in the mid-90s, the yearly output of maize has grown from a paltry 65,000 tonnes in 1997-98 to around 23 lakh tonnes in fiscal 2014- 15, according to Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).
Apart from spiralling demand from the feed industry, less irrigation requirements and the prospect of profits, availability of hybrid seeds as well as government policy support have encouraged farmers to switch to the grain from other crops such as rice and wheat.
The area under corn cultivation in Bangladesh has expanded at 16 percent a year over the last five years, a faster growth rate compared to any other crop, USDA said. “The growth is fuelled by a rise in use of the crop as an ingredient in feed for the livestock and poultry sectors, which has kept margins high for corn farmers.”
Maize market price mechanisms are sensitive and farmers in turn respond quickly to price changes of corn and competing crops, USDA said.
“One study estimated that an increase in corn price by 10 percent leads to a rise in production of 4 percent,” it said, adding that the growing scarcity of water for irrigation also prompted farmers to shift to the crop.
The agency said the maize growing season does conflict with the seasons for growing wheat, boro rice, potatoes, and winter vegetables.
Nevertheless, it said cultivation of the grain remains a preferred option, particularly for non-irrigated land.
Farmers grow 81 percent of the maize during winter, mainly in the north and southwest districts.
Despite increased production, Bangladesh has to import maize to meet domestic consumption requirements of 38 lakh tonnes estimated for fiscal 2016-17.
Grain imports are projected to grow 28 percent to 10 lakh tonnes in fiscal 2017-18 for increased demand from feed mills and mixing with wheat flour for human consumption, it said.
The agency forecasts that total maize consumption will rise to 41 lakh tonnes in fiscal 2017-18.
“Consumption of maize is rising for various purposes. Many people have it as popcorn. It is also used to make flour,” said a senior official of DAE.
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