The demand for maize as food and feed has been steadily increasing.

Maize is one of five major crops grown in the uplands of Thailand, along with rice, cassava, sugar cane, and rubber trees. Government-promoted crop diversification, increased population growth, improved transportation networks, inter national trade, expansion of upland farming areas, and increased demand for grains from the domestic livestock and poultry industry stimulated Thailand’s maize production beginning in the 1980s. However, Thailand’s domestic maize supply is currently not sufficient to meet the needs of its in-country demands, and small quantities have to be imported. This study characterized the social and biophysical maize production environment of Thailand; examined its response to increasing maize demand; determined constraints to future productivity growth; indicated the potential environmental consequences, and examined the options available for promoting sustainable growth in maize production.

Maize is the second most important food crop in Vietnam after rice.

This report presents the life cycle inventories of the five studied crops. Section 2 of the document presents the type of data that can be sourced from the database, the data collection methods, and highlights the data gaps. Section three presents the life cycle inventory providing information on the data and data sources, assumptions and data gaps and how these were addressed. The Annexes provide information on crop yield distributions, data on nitrogen application rates, pesticide use and information on field processes and machinery use.

Maize is a promising substitute crop allowing diversification from the rice-wheat system in the upland areas of India. The crop has high production potential, pr ovided the available improved hybrids and composites reach the farming community. This study found that major biotic production constraints were Echinocloa, Cynodon dactylon, rats, and termites, which reduced maize production levels by more than 50%. Other important abiotic and biotic stresses listed in descending order of importance were: caterpillars, water stress, stem borers, weevils, zinc deficiency, rust, seed/seedling blight, cutworm, and leaf blight. Non-availability of improved seeds, inadequate input markets, inef fective technology dissemination, and lack of collective action were the principal socio-economic constraints.

The study examines private sector participation in rice and (yellow) maize markets in five (5) ASEAN countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, with the objective of identifying the potential role that it could play to provide greater regional food security.