A Study on Maize Production in Samastipur (Bihar): An Empirical Analysis

Maize is an important cereal crop in the world. It has several important uses for industrial purposes, human food and animal feed. It is grown under variety of agro-ecological conditions and posses highest yield potential above 80 quintal per hectare among the food grain crop. The demand of maize is growing globally due to multiple uses and need to increase production continuously. This crop has tremendous potential for increase in productivity, profitability and sustainability in agriculture. But the drawback is that it is cultivated mostly under stress condition. In this backdrop the present study has plan to access the maize production and utilization system in Samastipur district of Bihar with objectives of maize production system prevails in the area, opportunities for utilization of maize and constraints thereon is the main focus of the paper. The study is based on primary data collected through 120 different categories of house hold from six villages falls under two blocks in Samastipur district. The main findings emerged from the analysis that in study area farmers were growing maize extensively in rabi season only. In kharif season flood and water logging condition is the main problem from August to January almost every year. Due to high risk involved in kharif and summer season farmers were found growing maize generally local variety with less input use. The farmers were reported that adoption of hybrid maize during risk situation avoids and uses open pollinated varieties (OPVs). Due to lacks of good quality maize seed varieties particularly for stress situation of flood, and droughts, bad marketing facilities, storage facilities etc. are the factors which limits the increase in productivity and production of maize in the areas. The hybrid variety of maize during the rabi season was extensively grown for commercial purpose not for consumption of human is the main drawback of utilization. The study also finds that due to high risk involve in kharif and summer season farmer were kept their cultivated land fallow. The paper suggests that more research and development is required for increase production and productivity particularly in abiotic stress conditions in the study area with development of suitable hybrid varieties of maize for human consumption. This is important for food and nutritional security to the economically poor families in the study area.