Using maize oil is a very common practice worldwide since maize oil has become popular long ago. You may also be one of the users of maize oil. But when this subject is discussed in Bangladesh, the matter becomes different. So far, there has been no use of corn oil in Bangladesh. Let's talk about Bangladesh and maize oil in this article. You can also describe maize as "Corn." Maize is also familiar with corn.
Ariful Islam
At present, 53 countries, including developed countries, produce and use edible oil from maize. There are multiple uses of maize in those countries. Maize oil is becoming more popular day by day. In this chart, you can see the global maize production in 2019/2020 from the data provided by Statista[1].
| Country name | Percentage |
|---|---|
| United State | 31.06% |
| China | 23.42% |
| Brazil | 9.07% |
| Europian Union | 5.99% |
| Argentina | 4.49% |
| Ukrain | 3.22% |
| India | 2.60% |
| Mexico | 2.25% |
| Sounth Africa | 1.46% |
| Other | 16.45% |
Maize oil is commercially viable and has excellent nutritional value. Maize oil is a little safer for health than regular use edible oil. Moreover, many people use this oil because of the difference in taste and cost. This oil is commonly used in cooking. However, in some cases, it is used as a medicine. However, the health benefits of this oil will depend on its source and processing method. From the data of USDA 100g maize oil contains [2]
| Nutrient | Value |
|---|---|
| Energy | 900 |
| Energy | 3766 kJ |
| Total lipid (fat) | 100 g |
| Choline | 0.2 mg |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 14 mg |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) | 1.9 µg |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 12.95 g |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 27.58 g |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 54.68 g |
| Stigmasterol | 56 mg |
| Campesterol | 189 mg |
| Beta-sitosterol | 621 mg |
On top of that, there was some discussion about maize oil. Due to the popularity and nutritional value of corn oil, now is the time for Bangladesh to do something. It is good to say that maize production in Bangladesh did not start very long ago. The cultivation of maize in this country started about 15 to 20 years ago. In the beginning, the production of maize had to go through a very unfavorable environment. But the fertile soil of this country has been transformed maize into a sustainable crop.
At present, maize is cultivated on more than 5.5 lakh hectares of land in Bangladesh. This amount of maize land is producing 46 lakh 50 thousand tons of maize [3]. It is estimated that it is possible to produce about 1 lakh 27 thousand tons of oil from this amount of maize. It is estimated that its market value is around 4 thousand crore taka. 3 to 4 percent of oil can be extracted from common maize varieties. However, if the variety of maize is improved, it is possible to produce 5 to 6 percent of the oil. However, 85% of the current production of maize is used for poultry, 10% for fish, and the remaining 5% for popcorn, roast, or other foods.
Anas Alomar
However, the Wheat and Maize Research Institute of Bangladesh(BWMRI) is forcing this issue[4]. In this case, if they succeed in producing oil from maize, then Bangladesh's economy is one step ahead. Moreover, the high price of edible oil inside the country will be reduced, and maize oil can be exported outside the country after meeting the country's demand.
Editors Pick
Md. Ferdous Joy
Reference
1. https://www.statista.com/statistics/254294/distribution-of-global-corn-production-by-country-2012/
2. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171029/nutrients
3. https://www.banglatribune.com/613228/
4. https://www.thedailystar.net/country/news/corn-oil-untapped-potential-1882363
