Lalitpur, Dec 15: The country has been importing 60 per cent maize required by the poultry feed industry.The National Maize Crop Research Centre informed this at the fourth-phase annual programme and review meet of the Hilly Maize Crop Project organised in Lalitpur district from today.Maize is produced on 2.4 per cent hectares of land in the country. Of the produced maize, 55 per cent maize is used as food grain, according to the Centre.
The poultry feed industries in the country need 38 metric tonnes of maize every year, only 40 per cent produced maize is found used in such industries. On the occasion, Director General at the Department of Agriculture Dr Yubakdhwoj GC stressed that achievement gained at the maize sector should eb protected. Coordinator of the Centre Dr Keshav Babu Koirala said that farmers should decrease their production cost of maize as the price of imported maize is cheaper in the country and added that production cost could be decreased through the use of modern technology.
Similarly, former Executive Director of the National Agricultural Research Council (NARC), Raghunath Sapkota, Market expert at the International Maize and Wheat Crop Research Centre, Dr Dilli KC, Crop and Horticulture Director Dr Yagya Gajadhar Khadka, among others expressed their views. Experts of District Agriculture Development Offices, scientists of NARC and maize experts from 20 districts are participating in the two-day assembly.
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