Background

Maize is a staple cereal used for food, feed, and fodder, and an important food security crop in Nepal. Grown across the country, maize is consumed in various forms, including flour (to make roti), porridge (dhido), and snacks. Maize demand has steadily increased by 5 percent per year over the last few decades.

The adoption of modern agricultural practices has gradually improved maize yields. Research institutions such as CIMMYT and the Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) work with stakeholders to develop and promote improved maize varieties and hybrids, agronomic practices, and market linkages that are appropriate for local conditions. Donors such as USAID and various government and non-government organizations are making efforts to increase maize production to meet the country’s food and industrial needs. Despite these efforts to promote maize based technologies, incentives and enabling policies, there are still unmet demand and gaps across the maize value chain in Nepal.

What to expect 

The main goal of the conference is to provide a platform for maize value chain actors and facilitators to share current status and exchange innovative commercial maize production, supply chain, and marketing models and experiences to improve the efficiency, sustainability, and competitiveness of Nepal’s maize sub-sector. The conference will have the following objectives:

• To learn and share knowledge and advancements in maize production, postharvest, storage and value addition at national and international level.
• To discuss models for commercial maize production and marketing.
• To discuss coordination mechanisms among market system actors and service providers for commercializing maize.
• To identify policy priorities for sustainable maize commercialization in Nepal.

The conference will feature speakers and panelists from the public and private sectors, academia, civil society, development partners, and experts with extensive experience in developing the maize sub-sector, including from Bangladesh and India. The sessions will focus on various aspects of the maize grain value chain, such as maize production, aggregation, postharvest operations, and market development, including an enabling policy environment.

Opening session speakers