In the developing world, maize ranks third, after rice and wheat. In Europe, the crop graduates from botanical curiosity to kitchen-garden vegetable. According to some accounts, maize reached the Philippines from the West before Magellan arrived at these islands in 1521. It is also found in the southern Chinese provinces of Hunan, Szechwan, and Fukien. Intensive research in plant breeding offers spectacular improvement in crop yields.
Hybrid maize is the greatest practical achievement of plant genetics to date.
Five hundred million tons of maize are produced annually on 130 million hectares. Developing countries account for sixty-four percent of the world s maize area and 43 percent of global maize production. Where it is grown for human food, maize is an important source of calories for the poor. Subsistence farmers grow the crop widely in mixed cropping systems. Average annual per capita human consumption of maize is 20kg in developing countries, but in Latin America and the Caribbean it approaches 80kg and, in Sub-Saharan Africa, 60kg.