BENGALURU: Taking a serious note of the price crash of maize that affected the farmers, state Planning Commission member S Mohandass Hegde has submitted a proposal to Chief Secretary Dr Shalini Rajneesh to create “Karnataka Maize Transformation Policy Framework 2025–30”. Hegde said this would convert the adversaries into opportunities and position Karnataka as a national leader in maize productivity.
It could be achieved by quality enhancement and integrated value-chain development, while strengthening food, feed and fuel security, promoting farmer welfare and accelerating rural and industrial development, he said.
Hegde also suggested strategies that include deployment of AI, IoT and drone-based monitoring systems; implementation of integrated pest management (IPM); boosting R&D in seeds, biotechnology and crop protection; post-harvest management and storage; establishment of climate-controlled scientific storage facilities and reduction of post-harvest losses from 3–4% to 1–2%.
He also suggested provision of hybrid seeds, smart storage, precision agriculture and FPO formation support, quality certification and storage norms, climate-smart agriculture standards, smart farmer hubs, training programs and R&D partnerships and Karnataka Maize Dashboard for real-time monitoring and decision-making.