After a seven-year hiatus, India’s maize exports surged in 2021–2022 to surpass $1 billion. Before mounting a remarkable comeback over the previous two years, shipments had fallen to a nine-year low of $142 million in 2019–20 due to soaring demand for the coarse cereal from South and South-East Asian nations including Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Malaysia.

Over the previous two years, lower supply from South American producers like Argentina and Brazil benefited Indian exporters by raising demand from South-East Asian consumers like Vietnam and Malaysia, among others.

From 3.7 lakh tonnes (lt) in 2019–20 to 36.90 lt in 2021–2022, India’s maize exports have increased dramatically. The current fiscal year’s Indian exports may slow down overall due to weak demand from Bangladesh and Vietnam and a comeback in supply from South American manufacturers, Brazil and Argentina, even though shipments were up 21% during April at 2.51 lt over the same month last year.