Down south in Nigeria, the first rains signals the begining of the planting season. The rains did come down at the begining of the week, so i wasn't surprised when i saw people heading to their farmlands today, being the first saturday after the rain (around here, most people work on their farm on weekends as they work during weekdays).
Undoubtedly, one of the main crops they'll be planting is maize. Farmers in this part give much preference to the crop, probably because it's one of the first (if not the very first) they get to harvest!
Here are a few things you need to know about maize...
Maize or corn is a cereal crop that is grown widely throughout the world in a range of agreoecological environments. It is believed to have been first grown by the indeginous people of Southern Mexico about 10,000 yrs ago.
More maize is produced annually than any other grain. About 50 species exist and consist of different colors, textures and grain shapes and sizes. White, yellow and red are the most common types. The white and yellow varieties are preferred by most peopleespecially here in the African region.
Maize was introduced into Africa in the 1500s, and has since become one of Africa's dominant food crops. Like many other regions, it is consumed as a vegetable although it is a grain crop. The grains are rich in vitamins A, C and E, carbohydrates, and essential minerals, and contain 9% protein. They are also rich in dietary fiber and calories which are a good source of energy.
According to IITA, worldwide production of maize is over 785 million tons, with the United States being the largest producer at 42%.
Africa produces 6.5%, with Nigeria as Africa's largest producer at 8 million tons
TYPES
They are of different species but can be grouped into six major types...
SWEET CORN
Got its name from its high sugar contentDENT CORN
It got its name from the dent on its crown-FLINT CORN
https://s10.postimg.org/41qxh7od5/20150803-corn-guide-flint-stock-3
Looks pretty wild, but for some reason it isn'tPOPCORN
https://s10.postimg.org/wsnr741ux/640px-Popcorn-Studio-_2011.jpg
I believe the name says it all!FLOUR CORN
Used mainly for flour production.
USES
There are over 3,500 uses for corn ranging from peanut butter to fabrics. However, In Nigeria it is mostly used in the following way:
-boiled, mashed or roasted, and served as nutritious meals.
- processed as grits into meals like conflakes, which are usually consumed as breakfast.
-corn oil extracted from the grains are used for cooking
-the very popular snack pop corn are made from maize
-bourbon whiskey produced from maize is widely consumed in Nigeria.
Check around you, you may be using more maize products than you know!