A surge in maize cultivation is reshaping India’s farm landscape, as growers shift away from pulses and oilseeds towards cereals, with corn emerging as the new favourite. Farmers have sown maize across 9.8 million hectares this summer — the highest in five years — marking a 17% jump, latest official data shows. Output in 2024-25 has risen 11% to nearly a quarter of a million tonnes, reports Hindustan Times.
The craze for maize is driven by its growing role in India’s biofuels programme. Corn, along with surplus rice, is being turned into ethanol, which is blended with petrol to cut emissions and reduce oil imports. Last month, India achieved its target of 20% ethanol blending with petrol four months ahead of schedule, producing 66 billion litres of ethanol in 2024-25. Of this, 25.5 billion litres came from grains, including maize, while the rest was derived from sugarcane.
“The idea is that gradually, ethanol from sugarcane will plateau and grains such as maize will be used in its place,” a petroleum ministry official said. Scientists at the Indian Institute of Maize Research are working on high-yielding seed varieties to boost productivity further.
India’s ethanol strategy has saved ₹1.40 lakh crore in crude import costs between 2014 and 2024, while preventing 54.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. The government aims to raise maize output by 10 million tonnes over the next five years to meet growing demand from both ethanol distilleries and the poultry industry, where corn is used as feed.
For farmers, the economics also add up. The minimum support price (MSP) for maize stands at ₹2,400 per quintal — slightly higher than paddy and 83% above its 2013-14 level. “I switched to maize from soyabean last year, after I came to know about good profits from farmers in Uttar Pradesh,” said Virender Singh Tomar, a grower from Neemuch in Madhya Pradesh.
Backed by a good monsoon and rising ethanol demand, maize has become the country’s fastest-expanding crop. Distilleries have stepped up purchases after the government raised ethanol prices in January, further fuelling the trend. Meanwhile, pulses and oilseeds continue to lose ground as farmers prefer cereals that assure higher returns.
