India maize acreage down 22.6% on year at 491,000 ha so far.

Farmers in the country had planted kharif maize across 491,000 ha so far, down 22.6% on year. At 491,000 ha, acreage was lower than the normal of 645,000 ha for the corresponding period. For the entire kharif season, normal acreage, based on the average of last five years, is 7.42 mln ha. Maize acreage was primarily lower in states like Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, where farmers have shifted to the more lucrative paddy. In Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, major producers of kharif maize, acreage was higher on year. In Karnataka, the coarse grain was planted across 183,000 ha, up 79.4% from a year ago and in Tamil Nadu, the area has doubled on year to 2,000 ha. Farmers in Telangana, another major producer of the grain, are yet to begin sowing maize.