Everyone likes the taste of corn flakes and popcorn but a few know that it offers even more. A few know that the Corn City Chhindwara has the highest production of maize in Madhya Pradesh. The entreprise of maize growers of Chhindwara will be manifested at the Chhindwara Corn Festival 2019 being held on 15 and 16 December 2019.
An opportunity for them to know what is the latest in farm mechanization, maize processing, maize based food products and maize market scenario. In addition, they will also get a chance to interact with maize scientists and other experts.
Today, maize has become a commercial crop. To harness the benefits of rising production, it has become necessary to have maize based agri–processing units.
Rich in nutrients, maize offers opportunities for setting up maize–based small scale entreprises. Maize production in Chhindwara alone has increased from 6 lakh 23 thousand MT to 12 lakh MT. The acreage of maize has also increased from 1.24 lakh hectare to 2.95 lakh hectare. The maize production in the State has touched 46 lakh MT.
Director of Indian Maize Research Institute, Ludhiana, Sanjay Rakshit says that maize production has shown upward trend in Madhya Pradesh but value addition and processing is yet to be done.
It is expected that maize processing will start here so that the maize farmers can reap optimum benefits.
A progressive farmer from Haryana Kamal Chauhan appreciates organizing the Corn Festival saying that such an event gives the farmers new technological interventions, which they can suitably use. Food processing expert Ramnath Suryavanshi believes that big players in farm industry should focus attention on the potential of setting up maize–based processing units as its economic market is growing. It is now an employment-generating crop. It can help double the income of farmers.
SR Azad, Director of Madhya Pradesh Vigyan Sabha is involved in imparting training to tribal farmers for making maize toasts and biscuits and providing them market. He says that there is an urgent need to raise awareness among the consumers about the nutritional quality of maize.
There is also a need to connect small farmers directly with maize– based food processing units. Chhindwara is an ideal district for this.
Chief Minister Kamal Nath believes that farmers should get opportunities to join agri–entrepreneurship, so that they are not limited to production only and also emerge as an entrepreneur.
Nutri Bakery
Realising the vision of the Chief Minister, the tribal women in Tamia block of Chhindwara district have succeeded in establishing Nutri Bakery.
They are economically self-dependent now. They make maize toasts and biscuits, which are a popular nutritious food items.
This is not only helping them address nutritional deficiency but also helping the tribal women earn handsome livelihoods.
Their income base has also improved. At least four Nutri Bakery Units are operating in Tamia. The women, who were earning hardly about `1,500 a month are now getting `4 to 5 thousand a month.
(The writer is Deputy Director, Public Relations, posted at Press Cell to CM)