Rajnandgaon Farmer Switches to Maize After Paddy Crop Loss, Expects Double Profit Per Acre

Water scarcity and extreme heat forced a shift from summer paddy to maize cultivation in Bharragaon village

Published on: December 13, 2025
By: BTNI
Location: Rajnandgaon, India

After suffering heavy losses due to water scarcity and extreme heat during the previous summer paddy season, farmer Shri Devaraj Nishad of Bharragaon village in Rajnandgaon block has shifted to maize cultivation this rabi season. Replacing summer paddy, he has sown maize across seven acres of his farmland, expecting significantly higher returns with lower input costs.

Sharing his experience, Shri Nishad said that inadequate water supply and rising temperatures had severely damaged his paddy crop last summer, resulting in substantial financial losses. He noted that taking another paddy crop after the summer season increased the overall cost of cultivation, while sufficient irrigation water is often unavailable during the rabi season due to increasing heat stress.

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According to the farmer, maize requires nearly three times less water than paddy and reduces cultivation costs by ₹5,000 to ₹6,000 per acre. More importantly, maize offers nearly double the profit compared to paddy. While paddy cultivation yields an average profit of ₹35,000 to ₹40,000 per acre, maize cultivation can generate returns of ₹50,000 to ₹55,000 per acre.

Shri Nishad further informed that he has entered into a contract with a gourmet popcorn company to cultivate popcorn maize, which assures an estimated yield of 35 to 40 quintals per acre. Encouraged by this assured production and better market prospects, he decided to replace paddy with maize this year.

He is also motivating fellow farmers in his village to opt for low-water-consuming crops such as maize or pulses instead of summer paddy, highlighting the benefits of climate-resilient farming and sustainable water management.