A steady option: Low rain forces farmers in several states to turn to maize

According to latest data from the department of agriculture, till July 25, maize has been sown in around 6.38 million hectares, which is around 136,000 hectares more than the same period last year

Amid the gloom surrounding kharif sowing this year due to delay in the onset of the southwest monsoon, there is one bright spot: A late surge in the area under maize, the third biggest cereal grown in the country.

This has come amid fears of destruction by the dreaded ‘fall armyworm’ pest, which had impacted large tracts of the maize crop in Karnataka and some other states last year.

Officials said though the threat perception around the fall armyworm is still there, it seems in states such as Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, return on investment and the delayed