New Delhi: Maize exports increased by over 28.5 per cent to USD 816.31 million during April-January this fiscal, against USD 634.85 million in the same period last financial year, the commerce ministry said on Sunday. Neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and Nepal are the major importers of maize from India, it added. Bangladesh has imported maize worth USD 345.5 million in the first ten months of the current fiscal, while Nepal's import stood at USD 132.16 million during this period. Other prominent importing countries are Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Taiwan, and Oman.
Maize is the third most important cereal crop in India after rice and wheat. The cereal crop is primarily cultivated in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. In India, maize is grown throughout the year, and it is predominantly a Kharif crop with 85 per cent 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 industrial products, including starch, oil, protein, alcoholic beverages, food sweeteners, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, film, textile, gum, package and paper industries.
PTI
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