India’s corn exports rise in Q4FY25 as regional demand grows: USDA
Higher output and strong demand from nearby markets push India’s corn exports higher, while lawmakers raise concern about low rice and wheat procurement.
INDIA – India has increased its corn exports during the last quarter of the financial year as buyers in Asia and West Asia search for steady grain supplies.
Data from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows that India exported close to 400,000 tonnes of corn between October and December 2025.
That figure is about twice the volume shipped during the same period in the previous two years. The agency raised its export forecast to about 400,000 tonnes from an earlier estimate of 350,000 tonnes.
In its report Grains: World Markets and Trade, the agency noted that strong pricing and higher production helped drive the increase.
“Corn exports from India have strengthened due to competitive prices, steady regional demand and higher production,” the report stated.
Changes in regional trade routes have also shaped demand. Disruptions linked to tensions around Strait of Hormuz and the wider Iran conflict have slowed the movement of several farm goods.
Shipping delays and higher insurance costs have pushed some buyers in West Asia to review their sourcing plans. Importers have – started to look for other suppliers and, in some cases, different crops that can meet feed and industrial needs. Corn has gained attention because livestock producers and processors already use it widely.
India holds a strong supply base. The country expects corn output to exceed 43 million tonnes during the 2024 to 2025 crop year. That volume allows producers to serve local buyers while still sending shipments abroad.
A weaker rupee has also made Indian maize more attractive in price sensitive markets across Asia and Africa.
Domestic demand and global factors
Local demand has also shaped the export outlook. Poultry producers use large volumes of maize for feed, while fuel producers have increased the use of corn in ethanol plants. These sectors consume a rising share of the crop each year.
At the same time, weather concerns in some major maize producing countries have tightened global supply. Buyers have responded by spreading their sourcing across more countries.
Meanwhile, lawmakers in India have raised concern about the country’s food grain procurement system. A parliamentary panel led by Kanimozhi Karunanidhi said actual procurement of rice and wheat has stayed below official estimates in recent years.
The panel report stated that “actual procurement of wheat has been 76.71%, 71.35% and 87.29% of the estimate for the years 2023 to 2024, 2024 to 2025 and 2025 to 2026 respectively.”
It also noted that rice procurement has remained below target since the 2022 to 2023 season and asked the food ministry to improve coordination with state governments.
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