Since before the Spanish Conquest, corn has been an essential ingredient in the cuisine of this region of the planet, being used in a variety of traditional dishes such as arepas, tamales and empanadas.<\/p>\n\n
The Muiscas used corn as a staple food and as the basis of their culture and traditions. This and other indigenous groups introduced this ingredient – and the dishes that could be prepared with it – to the Spaniards, and eventually corn became part of European gastronomy.<\/p>\n\n
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For decades, corn has been a fundamental component of cattle and chicken feed, making it key to the production of milk, beef and chicken.<\/p>\n\n
A widespread crop in Colombia<\/h2><\/h2>\n\n
In the diet of Colombians, corn represents 9% of the daily energy supply, according to Fenalce.<\/p>\n\n
With a presence in 21 of the country’s 32 departments, corn plays a fundamental role in feeding the population and in the national economy. So much so, that it is the third crop with the largest planted area<\/a>, surpassed only by rice and coffee.<\/p>\n\n
Even though its production is spread throughout the country, it could be greater. According to the Unidad de Planificaci\u00f3n Rural Agropecuaria (UPRA), Colombia has an agricultural frontier of 39.2 million hectares. Although 16.1 million of these hectares have potential for corn<\/a>, only 5.3 million are planted with this crop.<\/p>\n\n
In 2022, 462,625 hectares of corn were cultivated, producing 1,921,177 tons of corn<\/h2><\/h2>\n\n
Technified and traditional forms of production coexist in Colombia. The former are characterized by monocultures larger than 5 hectares that use machinery, modified seeds, fertilizers and pesticides. The latter are small plantations of native seeds that are worked with hoes and hoes.<\/p>\n\n
This has led corn production in Colombia to have lower productivity rates than in other countries. Proof of this is that, in 2016, yields in the United States reached 11 tons per hectare (t\/h), in Brazil 5.6 t\/h and in Colombia 3.6 t\/h (Fenalce<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n
Colombia is the largest corn importer in South America<\/h2><\/h2>\n\n
Currently, domestic production satisfies only 21% of the country\u2019s corn consumption<\/a>. In 2022, 6,498,292 tons were imported (6,119,648 tons of yellow corn and 378,644 tons of white corn).<\/p>\n\n
Colombia is among the main corn importers in South America and the world. The United States is the country\u2019s main corn supplier. Of white corn 100% of imports in 2022 came from this country and of yellow corn 45%, according to Fenalce<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n
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