Karnataka - Mangalore   

‘Research to enhance quality of maize showing good results’

SHIMOGA: Vice-Chancellor of the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bangalore, P.G. Changappa, said here on Wednesday that the university had taken up a research study to develop new varieties of maize.

Talking to presspersons, he said that the research being taken up as part of the Quality Producing Maize for human consumption by the UAS at Nagamangala in Mandya district had shown good results.

He said that three or four varieties of maize with greater protein content were being developed under the National Agricultural Initiative Project sponsored by the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) with a cluster of 1,000 farmers at Nagamangala. He said that maize, which had so far only fodder value, would become fit for human consumption soon after value addition to this highly nutritious product.

He said that farmers had accepted the quality of new varieties of maize with value addition. The project was being implemented as part of a consortium of the UAS, the Karnataka Milk Federation and the National Institute of Animal Nutrients.

He said that if the demand for maize had grown enormously it was mainly because of its various uses. He pointed out that most of the crop was being grown as raw material for feed-producing companies. He said that the increase in yield, which had gone up to nearly 30 quintals an acre and the rise in the minimum support price, were the main incentives for farmers to take to maize growing in a big way.

Dr. Changappa said that the other factors that attracted farmers to maize cultivation were its low cost of production and its drought-resistant quality.

He said that all these factors consequently resulted in a glut, with companies facing shortage of space for storage.

He said that Gokak-based Riddhi-Siddhi Company had accepted the quality of the value added produce of the maize and had come forward to market the produce.

Hailing maize as the “crop of the future”, Dr. Changappa said that 30 products of maize and ragi had attracted the attention of private agencies to study their market potential.

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