Maize in Nepal: production systems, constraints and priorities for research

Abstract

Maize cultivation is a way of life for most farmers in the hills of Nepal. It is a traditional crop cultivated as food, feed and fodder on slopping Bari land (rainfed upland) in the hills. It is grown under rainfed conditions during the summer (April-August) as a single crop or relayed with millet later in the season. In the terai, inner-terai, valleys, and low-lying river basin areas, maize is also grown in the winter and spring with irrigation. In 1997/1998, maize was grown on about 800,000 ha which represent 25% of the total area planted to cereals in Nepal. In the same period, 1,367,000 tons of maize were produced, representing about 21% of Nepal’s total cereal production. The proportion of maize area to total cereals was 30% in the highhills, 40% in the midhills and about 11% in the terai. Maize production as a proportion of total cereal production was 33% for the highhills, 39% for the midhills and 9% for the terai. More than two thirds of the maize produced in the midhills and highhills is used for direct human consumption at the farm level and the ratio of human consumption to total production is higher in less accessible areas. In the terai, less than 50% of the maize is used for human consumption and a significant part of the production goes to the market. Maize yields fluctuate seasonally and annually especially in the hills. Although maize yields increased slightly over the past five years, there has been very little yield improvement when compared to nationwide yields 30 years ago. This is probably due to the expansion of maize cultivation into less suitable terrain, declining soil fertility, and the sluggish adoption of improved management practices. While productivity in the country is almost stagnant, the overall demand for maize—driven by increased demand for human consumption and livestock feed— is expected to grow by 4% to 6 % per year over the next 20 years. Thus, Nepal will have to resort to maize imports in the future if productivity is not increased substantially. In 1999, the Hill Maize Research Project (HMRP) was initiated to provide new technologies to farmers to enable increased and sustainable maize production. The HMRP is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by the National Maize Research Program (NMRP) of the Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC), with technical assistance from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). The HMRP addresses a wide range of technology and technology dissemination needs from germplasm development and crop management to post harvest. It focuses on regions of Nepal where maize is important in terms of area and diet. The HMRP also supported the Rapid Rural Appraisals that were carried out for this study. This study is part of a project3 that promotes sustainable intensification of maize production systems while ensuring equitable income growth and improved food security for poor households that depend on maize. The project is funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and implemented under the direct supervision of the CIMMYT Economics Program. Nepal is one of seven countries - China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam - where the study is being carried out. As most of the increased demand for maize in Nepal is expected to come from resource poor farmers in slopping uplands in the midhills, the project focuses specifically on upland maize in the midhills.