Over 500 delegates to attend 3-day Intl Maize Conference in Hyderabad from Nov 2
The conference, themed ‘Maize Revolution for Food, Feed, Fodder, Fuel and Sustainability in the Changing World (M4FS)’, will be held at JD Convention Centre, Shamshabad, from November 2 to 4.
At a curtain-raiser programme held at ICAR-National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM) here on Sunday, M L Jat, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), and Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), said maize had an increasingly important role in food and nutritional security, livestock feed, fodder, industrial applications and renewable energy.
He stressed the need to strengthen research, encourage technological innovations and promote collaboration among national and international institutions to harness the potential of the crop.
Jat said India’s maize production had increased from less than two million tonnes in 1950-51 to over 55 million tonnes in 2025-26.
The conference would discuss ways to further strengthen the sector through climate-resilient varieties, advanced breeding technologies, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, mechanisation, smart farming and value addition, he said.
The conference is being jointly organised by the Maize Technologists Association of India (MTAI), Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University (PJTAU), ICAR, Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (TAAS), International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize Research (IIMR).
Scientists, policymakers, academicians, industry representatives, development partners, entrepreneurs and farmer organisations are expected to attend the event.
The scientific programme will include plenary lectures, technical sessions, panel discussions, poster presentations, industry interactions and policy dialogues.
An international Maize Innovation and Industry Exhibition will showcase technologies, machinery, seed innovations, digital agriculture solutions, bioenergy opportunities and value-added products.
World Food Prize laureate S K Vasal will participate in the conference in recognition of his contributions to maize breeding.
Publications documenting India’s maize development and the contributions of eminent scientists will also be released during the event.
The curtain-raiser programme was attended by Nachiket Kotwaliwale, Director, ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize Research, Ludhiana; H S Jat, Organising Chairman of IMC-2026 and Director, ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur; and Balram Marathi, Director of Research, PJTAU, Hyderabad.
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