Markfed to be nodal agency for marketing corn as industrial crop

• 11 Aug, 2024
• India

 

With the area under kharif maize in the 2024-25 season reaching an all-time high in the last eight years to 1.23 lakh hectares, the Punjab government is likely to appoint Markfed, a state-run premium cooperative organisation, for the smooth purchase of the corn as the industrial crop.

Agriculture experts say 18 ethanol plants in Punjab have a huge demand for maize as it is used in making renewable fuel, which is blended with petrol.

The state managed to achieve only 55% of the target which was 30% higher than the last season when the acreage under kharif maize was 94,000 hectares.

Officials aware of the matter said the provisional area of 1.23 lakh hectares in 2024-25 includes the one used to cultivate maize as fodder.

State agriculture director Jaswant Singh attributes the increase in maize acreage to the efforts by the field staff to encourage farmers to prefer corn over the water-guzzling paddy.

“We may have fallen short of the target but Punjab recorded an improvement of 30% than the 2023-24 season. In a notification, the central government has assured that maize will be bought at a minimum support price (MSP) of ₹2,225 per quintal and the industry is looking for a supply to meet its demand from Punjab. This year’s experience will set a momentum for crop diversification from the next season,” the agriculture director said.

Markfed is expected to be the nodal agency for the maize purchase and the state government will take a decision soon, he added.

Government officials said the arrival of maize is expected to begin from September 15 after harvesting of the early sown crop and the grains may continue hitting the mandis for a month till October 15.

According to the official data, in 2015-16, maize was sown on 1.27 lakh hectares and the acreage of Punjab’s traditional staple foodgrain witnessed a downward trend.

Kharif maize is sown mainly in the kandi areas of Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar, SBS Nagar and Pathankot.

Experts say in 1974, maize was grown on 5 lakh hectares but over the years, the area reduced drastically and there is a huge scope to enhance maize acreage as a measure to fight depleting groundwater table.

According to the agriculture department, in 2023, Punjab produced 3.1 lakh tonnes of maize grains. “Last year witnessed heavy rainfall and flooding in maize-growing areas and impacted the production. Maize sown in kharif period gives an average yield of 40 quintals per hectare and last year, it was 38 quintals due to unfriendly climatic conditions. We hope for a good season time,” said an agricultural department official.

Source:https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/markfed-to-be-nodal-agency-for-marketing-corn-as-industrial-crop-101723311266746.html