In Panjab, Area Under Maize Down 82% in Past Half Century

In the last 50 years, the area under maize cultivation in Panjab has decreased by 82%. From 577K hectares (ha) in 1975-76, the area under the kharif (summer) crop declined massively and is at 104K ha in July 2024. Similarly, in 19 years, from 2005-06 till 2024, the area under the crop has registered a decline of 20% from 149K ha to 104K ha. Summer maize requires significantly less water compared to paddy, which (depending upon variety) needs to be irrigated 25 to 30 times as opposed to three times for maize, which typically relies on rain. Though farmers in Panjab give more importance to spring maize, which demands more intensive irrigation, varying from 8 to 15 times, depending on soil conditions. Kharif maize, known for its versatility beyond traditional dishes like Makki di Roti with Sarson da Saag, is crucial in crop diversification. To achieve diversification goals, Panjab needs to diversify around 600K hectares. One major reason for the decline is that maize does not fetch the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of $24.9 a quintal. This year more than 60% of the maize sold for $17.9-19.1 a quintal. Of the 5.1M quintal maize sold at the state’s grain markets by 9 Jul, state agencies bought only 114 quintals, while private traders picked the rest. Of 4.5M quintals of maize purchased in 2023, 4.45 lakh quintals or 99% was purchased below MSP. In contrast, the area under maize in India went up from 59M ha to 99M ha in 45 years, because the maize revolution in India is mostly privately owned.