India’s maize productivity lags—except in these high-yield states | Mint

New Delhi: India’s average maize yield stands at just 3.5 tonnes per hectare—well below the global average of 6 tonnes. Yet, states like West Bengal (7 tonnes), Telangana (5.9 tonnes), Bihar (5.7 tonnes), and Tamil Nadu (5.5 tonnes) are nearing or even surpassing that global benchmark.

According to a FICCI–Yes Bank report based on the agriculture ministry’s third advance estimates for the 2024–25 crop year, West Bengal’s yield is not only higher than India’s average but also ahead of top maize-producing countries such as China (6.5 tonnes), Russia (6.9 tonnes), and Brazil (5.9 tonnes).

But improving maize productivity is no longer just about catching up globally—India faces pressing domestic challenges.

The government plans to expand the maize cultivation area from 12 million hectares in 2024–25 to 14 million hectares by 2026. The urgency stems from an emerging demand–supply gap: consumption is growing at 6.7% annually, outpacing production growth of 5.8%.

Poultry feed remains the largest consumer of maize at 51%, followed by ethanol (18%) and other sectors. With ethanol blending targets rising, boosting productivity is critical to ensuring food security, meeting industrial demand, and raising farmer incomes.

India’s annual maize consumption in 2024–25 was 42.8 million tonnes. That year, the country exported around 527,000 tonnes of maize and imported approximately 896,000 tonnes.

The government estimates maize production at 42.3 million tonnes in 2024–25, up from 37.9 million tonnes the previous year, and aims to double output to 86 million tonnes by 2047.

“Maize production must grow at 8-9% annually to achieve 65–70 million tonnes by 2030, supporting India’s ethanol blending target of E30,” said H.S. Jat, director, ICAR–Indian Institute of Maize Research (IIMR).

What these states are doing right

“The productivity in Bihar, West Bengal and Telangana is higher because the crop is largely grown during rabi season when the weather is more conducive and also the growing area is well irrigated, which leads to higher productivity. In Tamil Nadu although a significant area is under kharif, the weather is congenial for the crop,” said Jat.

In India, nearly 70% of maize is grown in the kharif season, while 23% is grown in rabi and the remaining 7% during the summer or zaid season. Kharif productivity is significantly lower, at 2.9 tonnes per hectare, compared with 5 tonnes during rabi and 4.4 tonnes in the summer season.

“Comparing our yield to global yield is not an apple-to-apple comparison, primarily because most of the crops are cultivated in kharif season,” said Sunjay Vuppuluri, National Head of Food & Agribusiness Strategic Advisory and Research at Yes Bank.

Most of the other major maize-producing states—Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat—continue to report yields below the national average. These states largely depend on kharif cultivation, which is more vulnerable to erratic monsoons and has lower yields due to limited irrigation.

Bridging this productivity gap will require more than seasonal shifts—it needs science-driven solutions. That’s where the push for better hybrids and ethanol readiness comes in.

According to Jat, ethanol currently consumes 18-20% of India’s maize production. However, to maximize ethanol recovery—from the current 38% to 42%—hybrids with higher starch content are required. The IIMR is developing new high-yielding varieties capable of delivering 10-11 tonnes per hectare during the rabi–spring seasons and 7-8 tonnes in kharif, with enhanced fermentable content of 64-65%.

He emphasized the need for “site-specific mechanization… from seed to seed” to help improve efficiency and yields across regions.

Despite lagging behind the global average, India has a clear path forward: technology interventions, new seed varieties, assured pricing, and better market linkages could help close the gap and raise national productivity.