India’s exports of maize reached $816.31 million in the first ten months of current fiscal 2021-22 (April-January), already crossing the $634.85 million achieved during the last financial year.
From an exports realisation of $142.8 million in 2019-20, the export of maize increased nearly sixfold, taking the total value of shipment to $1593.73 million in the last three years despite logistical challenges posed by the COVID19 pandemic outbreak, according to a statement from Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
Neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and Nepal are the major importers of India’s maize. Bangladesh has imported maize worth $345.5 million in the April-January 21-22 period, while Nepal has imported maize worth$132.16 million.
Vietnam also has emerged as a major destination for India’s maize exports. The country imported Indian maize worth $244.24 million in the first ten months of current fiscal. Other prominent importing countries are Malaysia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Taiwan, Oman, etc.
Maize, which is globally known as the queen of cereals, has emerged as one of the significant foreign exchange-earners under the commodities covered under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) ambit.
Maize is the third most important cereal crop in India after rice and wheat. The crop is primarily cultivated in the states of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
Having highest genetic yield potential among the cereals, maize is one of the most versatile emerging crops having wider adaptability under varied agro-climatic conditions.
In India, maize is grown throughout the year and it is predominantly a kharif crop with 85 percent of the area under cultivation in the season.
In addition to staple food for human beings and quality feed for animals, maize serves as a basic raw material/ingredient to many of industrial products that includes starch, oil, protein, alcoholic beverages, food sweeteners, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, film, textile, gum, package and paper industries etc.
The rise in export of agricultural and processed food products has been largely due to the various initiatives taken by APEDA such as organizing B2B exhibitions in different countries, exploring new potential markets through product specific and general marketing campaigns by active involvement of Indian Embassies, the Ministry statement added.
APEDA has also taken several initiatives to promote Geographical Indications (GI) registered agricultural and processed food products in India by organizing virtual Buyer-Seller Meets on agricultural and food products with the major importing countries across the world.
