Lok Sabha Question No. 1663 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-10
Subject: Cultivation of Maize
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Dr. Byreddy Shabari

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1663

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 10 TH  FEBRUARY, 2026

## CULTIVATION OF MAIZE

1663. DR. BYREDDY SHABARI:

Will  the  Minister  of  AGRICULTURE AND  FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष  और  ͩकसान कãयाण मंğी be pleased to state:

- (a) the total number of farmers engaged in maize cultivation during the last five years, with State-wise and year-wise break-up;
- (b) the top maize-producing regions and districts in terms of area under maize cultivation and productivity during the last five years, State-wise and year-wise;
- (c) the Union and State Government schemes providing financial assistance, subsidies, or other  support  to  maize  farmers  including  amounts  allocated,  released  and  utilised,  yearwise;
- (d) the number of farmers benefitting from such schemes annually, State-wise and districtwise; and
- (e) the steps taken to promote Maize cultivation, improve productivity, and ensure market access  for  small  and  marginal  farmers  including  any  extension  or  capacity-building programmes?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण राÏय मंğी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

- (a) & (b): The data on farmers engaged in cultivation of Maize is not maintained centrally. However, the state-wise number of operational holdings engaged in cultivation of Maize as per latest agriculture census, 2015-16 is at annexure I .  Further,  the  top  maize-producing regions in terms of area under maize cultivation and productivity  during the last five years is given at annexure II.
- (c)  to  (e):  The  Department  of  Agriculture  and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) is implementing the  National  Food  Security  &  Nutrition  Mission  (NFSNM)  in  the  28  States  and  2  Union Territories (UTs) with the objective to increase production of Rice, Wheat, Coarse Cereals (Maize  &  Barley),  Nutri-Cereals  (Shree  Anna)  and  Commercial  Crops  (Cotton,  Jute  & Sugarcane) through area expansion and productivity enhancement.

The Allocation,  Release  and  Expenditure  of  funds  (Central  Share)  under  NFSNMCoarse Cereals (Maize & Barley) from 2020-21 to 2024-25 are given below:

| (Rs In crores)   | (Rs In crores)   | (Rs In crores)   | (Rs In crores)   |
|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
| Year             | Allocation       | Release          | Expenditure      |
| 2020-21          | 72.03            | 50.48            | 43.95            |
| 2021-22          | 66.21            | 23.55            | 28.90            |
| 2022-23          | 44.57            | 19.51            | 18.06            |
| 2023-24          | 68.68            | 39.32            | 28.76            |
| 2024-25          | 92.57            | 73.48            | 61.70            |

Under NFSNM-Coarse (Maize & Barley), the assistance is being provided to the farmers,  through  the  States/UTs,  for  demonstration  on  crop  production  &  protection technologies, for distribution of certified seeds, for Integrated Nutrient and Pest Management measures, for capacity building of farmers through cropping system-based trainings etc.

The Government provides Minimum Support Prices (MSP) of maize  over the years to  encourage farmers for cultivation of maize and ensure remunerative prices. During the year 2025-26, MSP of maize has been increased to Rs. 2400/- quintal, which is 7.8% higher than previous  year.  State governments assisting maize farmers through  central sector scheme, National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) for facilitating maize trading and ensuring better price at Regulated Market Committees (RMC).

Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has been implementing schemes  like  Pradhan  Mantri  Formalization  of  Micro  Food  Processing  Enterprises (PMFME)  and  Pradhan  Mantri  Kisan  Sampada  Yojana  (PMKSY)  to  promote  maizebased value addition, processing clusters and market linkages in the country. Ministry extends financial support to prospective entrepreneurs for setting up of different kinds of food processing industries including maize based processing units, as per respective scheme guidelines.

Further, to improve production & productivity of maize three projects of ICAR-Indian Institute  of  Maize  Research  (IIMR),  Ludhiana  and  one  project  of  International  Maize  & Wheat  Improvement  Centre  (CIMMYT)  have  been  approved  under  NFSM.  Besides, research efforts of Indian Council of Agricultural Research  (ICAR)  has  led  to  the development and release of high yielding and stress tolerant varieties/hybrids of maize.

Besides,  the  various  centres  of  the  ICAR-All  India  Co-ordinated  Research  Project (AICRP)  on  Maize  are  also  engaged  in  the  R&D  of  Maize  in  different  states  and  are contributing  significantly  in  development  of  location  specific  high  yielding  climate  resilient varieties/hybrids for improving production of Maize. As far as steps taken to promote Maize cultivation,  improve  productivity  and  extension  or  capacity  building  programmes  are concerned, during 2014-25, a total of 315 maize varieties/hybrids have been released by Central  Variety  Release  Committee  for  cultivation  on  farmers  field  in  different  agroecologies of country.

Annexure I Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1663 regarding 'Cultivation of Maize' due for 10.02.2026

| State-wise number of operational holdings engaged in cultivation of Maize   | State-wise number of operational holdings engaged in cultivation of Maize   | State-wise number of operational holdings engaged in cultivation of Maize   |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl. No                                                                      | State Name                                                                  | 2015-16                                                                     |
| 1                                                                           | A & N ISLANDS                                                               | 2                                                                           |
| 2                                                                           | ANDHRA PRADESH                                                              | 3,20,522                                                                    |
| 3                                                                           | ARUNACHAL PRADESH                                                           | 87,814                                                                      |
| 4                                                                           | ASSAM                                                                       | 68,474                                                                      |
| 5                                                                           | BIHAR                                                                       | 43,17,309                                                                   |
| 6                                                                           | CHANDIGARH                                                                  | 70                                                                          |
| 7                                                                           | CHATTISGARH                                                                 | 3,32,217                                                                    |
| 8                                                                           | D & N HAVELI                                                                | 5                                                                           |
| 9                                                                           | DAMAN & DIU                                                                 | -                                                                           |
| 10                                                                          | DELHI                                                                       | 414                                                                         |
| 11                                                                          | GOA                                                                         | -                                                                           |
| 12                                                                          | GUJARAT                                                                     | 3,05,931                                                                    |
| 13                                                                          | HARYANA                                                                     | 17,973                                                                      |
| 14                                                                          | HIMACHAL PRADESH                                                            | 6,50,011                                                                    |
| 15                                                                          | JAMMU & KASHMIR                                                             | 5,27,215                                                                    |
| 16                                                                          | JHARKHAND                                                                   | 7,67,875                                                                    |
| 17                                                                          | KARNATAKA                                                                   | 12,91,432                                                                   |
| 18                                                                          | KERALA                                                                      | 3,021                                                                       |
| 19                                                                          | LAKSHADWEEP                                                                 | -                                                                           |
| 20                                                                          | MADHYA PRADESH                                                              | 14,78,284                                                                   |
| 21                                                                          | MAHARASHTRA                                                                 | 10,66,819                                                                   |
| 22                                                                          | MANIPUR                                                                     | 29,851                                                                      |
| 23                                                                          | MEGHALAYA                                                                   | 1,06,445                                                                    |
| 24                                                                          | MIZORAM                                                                     | 13,555                                                                      |
| 25                                                                          | NAGALAND                                                                    | 1,17,525                                                                    |
| 26                                                                          | ODISHA                                                                      | 4,05,415                                                                    |
| 27                                                                          | PUDUCHERRY                                                                  | -                                                                           |
| 28                                                                          | PUNJAB                                                                      | 1,20,888                                                                    |
| 29                                                                          | RAJASTHAN                                                                   | 15,05,234                                                                   |
| 30                                                                          | SIKKIM                                                                      | 53,677                                                                      |
| 31                                                                          | TAMIL NADU                                                                  | 6,28,958                                                                    |
| 32                                                                          | TELENGANA                                                                   | 8,17,667                                                                    |
| 33                                                                          | TRIPURA                                                                     | 11,309                                                                      |
| 34                                                                          | UTTAR PRADESH                                                               | 13,69,224                                                                   |
| 35                                                                          | UTTARAKHAND                                                                 | 2,92,318                                                                    |
| 36                                                                          | WEST BENGAL                                                                 | 2,22,812                                                                    |
| ALL INDIA 1,69,30,266                                                       | ALL INDIA 1,69,30,266                                                       | ALL INDIA 1,69,30,266                                                       |

Source:- As per Agriculture Census,2015-16

| Annexure referred to in reply to part (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1663 regarding 'Cultivation of Maize' due for 10.02.2026   | Annexure referred to in reply to part (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1663 regarding 'Cultivation of Maize' due for 10.02.2026   | Annexure referred to in reply to part (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1663 regarding 'Cultivation of Maize' due for 10.02.2026   | Annexure referred to in reply to part (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1663 regarding 'Cultivation of Maize' due for 10.02.2026   | Annexure referred to in reply to part (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1663 regarding 'Cultivation of Maize' due for 10.02.2026   |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Top State under maize cultivation during the last five years (In terms of Area & Productivity)                                           | Top State under maize cultivation during the last five years (In terms of Area & Productivity)                                           | Top State under maize cultivation during the last five years (In terms of Area & Productivity)                                           | Top State under maize cultivation during the last five years (In terms of Area & Productivity)                                           | Top State under maize cultivation during the last five years (In terms of Area & Productivity)                                           |
| 2020-21                                                                                                                                  | 2020-21                                                                                                                                  | 2020-21                                                                                                                                  | 2020-21                                                                                                                                  | 2020-21                                                                                                                                  |
| Sr. No.                                                                                                                                  | State                                                                                                                                    | Area (In thousand Ha)                                                                                                                    | State                                                                                                                                    | Productivity/Yield (In Kg/Ha)                                                                                                            |
| 1                                                                                                                                        | Karnataka                                                                                                                                | 1,726                                                                                                                                    | Telangana                                                                                                                                | 6,782                                                                                                                                    |
| 2                                                                                                                                        | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                                                           | 1,405                                                                                                                                    | West Bengal                                                                                                                              | 6,752                                                                                                                                    |
| 3                                                                                                                                        | Maharashtra                                                                                                                              | 1,182                                                                                                                                    | Tamil Nadu                                                                                                                               | 6,408                                                                                                                                    |
| 4                                                                                                                                        | Rajasthan                                                                                                                                | 993                                                                                                                                      | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                                                           | 5,917                                                                                                                                    |
| 5                                                                                                                                        | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                                                            | 773                                                                                                                                      | Delhi                                                                                                                                    | 5,091                                                                                                                                    |
| 2021-22                                                                                                                                  | 2021-22                                                                                                                                  | 2021-22                                                                                                                                  | 2021-22                                                                                                                                  | 2021-22                                                                                                                                  |
| 1                                                                                                                                        | Karnataka                                                                                                                                | 1,592                                                                                                                                    | Tamil Nadu                                                                                                                               | 7,066                                                                                                                                    |
| 2                                                                                                                                        | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                                                           | 1,400                                                                                                                                    | West Bengal                                                                                                                              | 6,989                                                                                                                                    |
| 3                                                                                                                                        | Maharashtra                                                                                                                              | 1,251                                                                                                                                    | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                                                           | 5,553                                                                                                                                    |
| 4                                                                                                                                        | Rajasthan                                                                                                                                | 952                                                                                                                                      | Telangana                                                                                                                                | 5,403                                                                                                                                    |
| 5                                                                                                                                        | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                                                            | 747                                                                                                                                      | Delhi                                                                                                                                    | 5,100                                                                                                                                    |
| 2022-23                                                                                                                                  | 2022-23                                                                                                                                  | 2022-23                                                                                                                                  | 2022-23                                                                                                                                  | 2022-23                                                                                                                                  |
| 1                                                                                                                                        | Karnataka                                                                                                                                | 1,912                                                                                                                                    | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                                                           | 7,138                                                                                                                                    |
| 2                                                                                                                                        | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                                                           | 1,448                                                                                                                                    | Tamil Nadu                                                                                                                               | 7,007                                                                                                                                    |
| 3                                                                                                                                        | Maharashtra                                                                                                                              | 1,345                                                                                                                                    | West Bengal                                                                                                                              | 6,285                                                                                                                                    |
| 4                                                                                                                                        | Rajasthan                                                                                                                                | 957                                                                                                                                      | Bihar                                                                                                                                    | 5,854                                                                                                                                    |
| 5                                                                                                                                        | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                                                            | 891                                                                                                                                      | Telangana                                                                                                                                | 5,557                                                                                                                                    |
| 2023-24                                                                                                                                  | 2023-24                                                                                                                                  | 2023-24                                                                                                                                  | 2023-24                                                                                                                                  | 2023-24                                                                                                                                  |
| 1                                                                                                                                        | Karnataka                                                                                                                                | 1,972                                                                                                                                    | West Bengal                                                                                                                              | 6,633                                                                                                                                    |
| 2                                                                                                                                        | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                                                           | 1,543                                                                                                                                    | Tamil Nadu                                                                                                                               | 6,239                                                                                                                                    |
| 3                                                                                                                                        | Maharashtra                                                                                                                              | 1,326                                                                                                                                    | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                                                           | 6,225                                                                                                                                    |
| 4                                                                                                                                        | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                                                            | 1,104                                                                                                                                    | Bihar                                                                                                                                    | 5,975                                                                                                                                    |
| 5                                                                                                                                        | Bihar                                                                                                                                    | 956                                                                                                                                      | Telangana                                                                                                                                | 5,671                                                                                                                                    |
| 2024-25                                                                                                                                  | 2024-25                                                                                                                                  | 2024-25                                                                                                                                  | 2024-25                                                                                                                                  | 2024-25                                                                                                                                  |
| 1                                                                                                                                        | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                                                           | 2,303                                                                                                                                    | West Bengal                                                                                                                              | 6,999                                                                                                                                    |
| 2                                                                                                                                        | Karnataka                                                                                                                                | 1,914                                                                                                                                    | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                                                           | 6,510                                                                                                                                    |
| 3                                                                                                                                        | Maharashtra                                                                                                                              | 1,625                                                                                                                                    | Bihar                                                                                                                                    | 6,101                                                                                                                                    |
| 4                                                                                                                                        | Rajasthan                                                                                                                                | 1,007                                                                                                                                    | Telangana                                                                                                                                | 5,860                                                                                                                                    |
| 5                                                                                                                                        | Bihar                                                                                                                                    | 896                                                                                                                                      | Tamil Nadu                                                                                                                               | 5,487                                                                                                                                    |

Source : DA&FW

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