Cash crops
Nov 08, 2010
<b>Maize</b><br>Maize is the third largest planted crop after wheat and rice. It has a wide range of industrial applications; from food processing to the manufacture of ethanol. Maize is one of the oldest human-domesticated plants. Its origins date back at least 7,000 years ago, when it was grown i
Maize
Maize is the third largest planted crop after wheat and rice. It has a wide range of industrial applications; from food processing to the manufacture of ethanol. Maize is one of the oldest human-domesticated plants. Its origins date back at least 7,000 years ago, when it was grown in the form of a wild grass called teosinte in Mexico.
Recognising its early potential as a food crop, the Mesoamerican natives managed to improve it, by selecting certain varieties for their desired traits. This process led to the gradual transformation of teosinte to its present form — maize, a derivative of mahis, meaning “source of life†for Tanio people, the natives known to have mastered its cultivation.
Maize is grown in nearly all parts of Uganda and occupies a strategic position in the country’s food security, alongside bananas, cassava and sweet potatoes.
Maize provides a living for about 2.5 million households, 1,000 traders and over 20 exporters. It has become a major export in the regional markets, rising from about $6.0m in 1990 to an estimated $11.8m in 2000 and $10.4 m in 2001.
Maize is the third largest planted crop after wheat and rice. It has a wide range of industrial applications; from food processing to the manufacture of ethanol. Maize is one of the oldest human-domesticated plants. Its origins date back at least 7,000 years ago, when it was grown in the form of a wild grass called teosinte in Mexico.
Recognising its early potential as a food crop, the Mesoamerican natives managed to improve it, by selecting certain varieties for their desired traits. This process led to the gradual transformation of teosinte to its present form — maize, a derivative of mahis, meaning “source of life†for Tanio people, the natives known to have mastered its cultivation.
Maize is grown in nearly all parts of Uganda and occupies a strategic position in the country’s food security, alongside bananas, cassava and sweet potatoes.
Maize provides a living for about 2.5 million households, 1,000 traders and over 20 exporters. It has become a major export in the regional markets, rising from about $6.0m in 1990 to an estimated $11.8m in 2000 and $10.4 m in 2001.