Biotechnology and Developing Country Agriculture : Maize in Indonesia

After rice, maize is the second most important staple food in Indonesia, and is cultivated under a diversity of agro-ecological conditions. While food accounts for more than half total maize utilisation, demand for maize as livestock feed - particularly for poultry - has been growing rapidly in recent years. The Indonesian Development Plan sets production targets for maize for different regions, according to different technological "packages" in terms of the type of seed used and level of other inputs. Although the recommended technology packages imply wider diffusion of improved seed, only a small share of the total area cultivated is sown to hybrids and the commercial seeds industry is only just emerging. Unlike rice and soybean, maize is not a major focus of policy intervention. Nevertheless, farm revenue in maize production has been increasing despite growing production costs per hectare. Given the high price of hybrids compared to open-pollinated varieties so far obtained ...