| Abstract |
Agriculture is the main stay of Pakistan’s economy. It accounts for about 26% of the national GDP and 45% of the employment. Wheat, rice and maize are the leading cereal crops of Pakistan. Maize in Pakistan is showing an increase trend both in area and productivity. According to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS, 2013), maize showed a 26% yield increase in 2013 from its level in 2010. Currently the national average yield of maize is about 4.4 t ha-1 and it is the first in productivity among all the cereals in Pakistan. The need for feed and fodder drives maize production in Pakistan which becomes an important source of income. However, population increase and price hikes for other crops makes maize as a preferred food by many rural communities, particularly in the Khyber PakhtunKhwa (KPK) province. Despite its positive trend in recent past, maize faces many challenges including but not limited to lack of suitable varieties particularly climate resilient varieties, pest and disease problems, lack of good agronomic practices, high maize seed price and absence of a functional and vibrant seed system, among others. Although Pakistan’s maize production showed a 76% increase between 1994 and 2013, mainly due to seed sector reform of 1994 and good performance of imported hybrids, well over 50% of Pakistan’s maize area is planted with local varieties due to lack of access and availability of improved seeds. |
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