Quantifying and valuing the joint production of grain and fodder from maize fields in Northern Pakistan

Abstract

The joint production of grain and fodder from maize fields in much of northern Pakistan has been a subject of long standing, controversy (Byerlee and Hussain, 1986). It has been widely observed that farmers plant maize by broadcasting seed at a high seed rate. The resulting plant density is often higher than optimal for grain production and farmers also stagger thinning throughout the growing season. It is hypothesized that farmers following these practices value the green fodder produced by maize thinnings as an important source of fodder. The issue is important because research recommendations, such as lower, seed rate, line planting and early thinning, which were formulated in terms of grain production. have been consistently rejected by farmer, despite widespread demonstration programs in the 1970s (Byerlee cwd Hussain, 1986). To date no quantitative data is available to substantiate the relative role of maize as a grain crop and as a fodder crop in different zones of northern Pakistan. This paper aims first, to quantify the extent to which maize plants are removed during the season as a fodder crop and second, to place an economic value on this fodder in relation to the value of grain production.