The 11th India Maize Summit 2025 was inaugurated in Delhi by Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The event, organized by FICCI, brought together stakeholders to discuss how to strengthen maize farming in India.
Focus on Sustainable Farming for Future Generations
Addressing the summit, the Minister highlighted that agriculture remains the backbone of India’s economy, and farmers are its very soul. He stressed that serving farmers is like worship for him and that empowering farmers should be the real goal — with maize playing a supporting role in this mission.
He emphasized that India must ensure food security, increase farmers’ incomes, make agriculture more profitable, and provide nutritious food to all citizens — all while protecting the earth for future generations. Overexploiting land for maximum production must be avoided so that the soil remains fertile for years to come.
Maize Production Needs Improvement
Chouhan noted that maize has become India’s third largest crop, but productivity still needs to improve. He pointed out that India does not use GM seeds for maize, yet production has grown from about 10 million tonnes in the 1990s to 42.3 million tonnes today. The target is to nearly double this to 86 million tonnes by 2027.
Currently, India’s average maize yield is 3.78 tonnes per hectare, with some states like West Bengal and Bihar performing better than the national average. He said that more research is needed to improve productivity further, especially to increase starch content and develop varieties suited to Indian conditions.
New Varieties and Hybrids Developed
The Minister appreciated the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for its significant work in maize research, which has led to the development of 265 new maize varieties, including 77 hybrid and 30 bio-fortified types, and specialty maize varieties. However, he underlined the need for continued innovation to make Indian maize farming more competitive.
Better Prices and Lower Costs for Farmers
Chouhan highlighted that the government has made efforts to stabilize maize prices through Minimum Support Price (MSP) revisions and new policies like the ethanol blending target. He stressed that besides increasing production, reducing the cost of cultivation per hectare is equally important. He has asked scientists to focus on this aspect too.
Tackling Climate Challenges
The Minister said that climate change and global warming are major challenges for agriculture today. Developing climate-resilient maize varieties is essential, especially for rainfed regions and areas with excessive rainfall. For states like Punjab and Haryana, he said crop diversification is the need of the hour — moving some farmers from paddy to maize could help conserve water.
Diversifying Maize for More Income
Chouhan noted that India must boost the protein content in maize by investing in research. Products like DDGS (Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles) have good protein content, but maize still has less protein than rice. Increasing protein levels in maize could benefit farmers and consumers alike.
He also encouraged more cultivation of sweet corn and baby corn, which offer quick returns and multiple harvests in a year, adding to farmers’ income.
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