India needs to work towards doubling its maize production by 2025 as the sector holds immense opportunities with its rising popularity among urban consumers, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh has said.

Special incentives need to be given for the cultivation of speciality corn such as baby corn, popcorn, sweet corn and multi-grain flour, the Minister said at the India Maize Summit organised by industry body FICCI on Thursday.

"By 2025, India would require 50 million tonnes of maize for domestic consumption, of which 32 million tonnes would be needed in the feed sector, 15 million tonnes in the industrial sector, 2 million tonnes as food and one million tonnes for seed and miscellaneous purposes. There would be 10 million tonnes of export potential as well," Singh said.

Doubling India's maize production from the present levels of 24.7 million tonnes by 2025 is, therefore, a big opportunity for India, he added.

Incentives need to be provided to the private sector so that they may provide improved seeds to remote areas such as the north-eastern region, the Minister pointed out.

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