India aims to double corn production to 86 million tonnes by 2047

India’s average maize yield is 3.7 tonnes per hectare, with some states like West Bengal and Bihar exceeding the national average, but overall yields need to be increased, says India’s agriculture minister. Indian Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday promised to ensure maize farmers get a fair price for their produce. Highlighting the critical need for crop diversification in Punjab and Haryana, he said the government is committed to expanding maize cultivation, targeting a significant increase in production from the current 42.28 million tonnes (mt) to 86 mt by 2047. However, he made it clear that this increase in productivity should happen without the use of genetic modification technology, the Hindu Businessline reported. Addressing the annual maize summit organised by industry chamber FICCI, Chouhan said achieving the 86 million tonne target by 2047 depends on developing high-yielding seed varieties with increased starch content. He urged scientists to ...