In Vietnam, maize is utilized mainly as livestock feed, partly as human food for ethnic minorities and industrial materials. In 2001, maize production obtained an acreage of 730,000 hectares, an average yield of 3 tons per ha and a total output of 2.2 million metric tons. Presently, total production is just enough for 50 percent of demand for livestock feed. With a view to meeting the demand, the Vietnamese maize program has projected a plan to obtain, by the year 2005, an acreage of 1 million hectares, an average yield of 4 tons per hectare and a total output of 4 million metric tons. Increased area is mainly relied on multiple cropping such as by transplanting maize on wet land after two rice crops, and by gowing addtional maize crop on one summer rice crop area in the mountainous regions, and partly on shifting 300,000 hectares of rainfed-rice growing land to maize and other upland crops cultivation. Increased yield can be achieved, by 2005, applying higher proportion of hybrids to 90 percent and QPM (1,000 hectares in 2001 to 60,000 hectares by 2005). Higher yield can also be met by strengthening extension work, adequate fertilizer application, irrigation, plant protection and minimizing losses of post harvest. In order to support this ambitious objectives, the Vietnamese Government has granted, for a period from now to 2005, a project budget of US$ 80 millions for subsidizing seed costs for farmers, especially in the mountainous regions, and supporting to increased area. The Vietnamese maize scientists and extension workers are trying to solve problems of economic efficiencies of maize production for fanners, establishing commercial and stable maize growing zones.

English

0502|AGRIS 0501|AL-Maize Program

Juan Carlos Mendieta

CIMMYT Publications Collection