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Informist, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025

By J. Navya Sruthi

MUMBAI – Maize and rice prices were steady in key markets Thursday due to lack of new cues, traders said. Traders expect maize prices to fall next month on rise in arrivals and high moisture in the grain. Prices of wheat were unavailable as markets in north India, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh remained shut on account of Diwali.

Prices of MAIZE at Davanagere in Karnataka were largely steady at INR 1,600–INR 2,100 per 100 kilograms, said Shiva Kumar, a local trader. Arrivals were also steady at 10,000 bags (1 bag = 60 kg), he said. He expects prices to remain steady next week and fall in the subsequent days due to rising arrivals and high moisture content in the grain.

Moisture content in maize is currently 25–30%, and sometimes it is as high as 32%, which is the main reason for prices trading under the minimum support price of INR 2,400 per 100 kg, Kumar said. "Why will prices not fall when moisture is this high?" Kumar said and added that till a few years back it was only 3–4 states known for maize production, but now output is also too high, which is weighing on prices.

It was only after 2023 that maize acreage in India grew with most farmers shifting from oilseeds and pulses to maize. Prices of the staple grain rose to an all-time high of INR 2,600 per 100 kg in January 2024 due to low output caused by erratic rainfall and additional demand from the ethanol sector. These attractive returns led to farmers shifting to maize, increasing the area under maize in the crop year 2024–25 (Jul-Jun) and kharif 2025.

Traditionally, or even till 2023, it was only Maharashtra, Bihar, Karnataka, and parts of Andhra Pradesh that were known as maize producing states, Kumar said. In the crop year 2024-25, maize acreage grew nearly 7% on year to 12.02 million hectares, which included 8.4 million hectares during kharif, 2.72 million hectares in rabi, and 864,000 hectares in summer. This year, maize acreage as of Oct. 3 was 9.5 million hectares, up nearly 13% from the corresponding period the previous year.

Kumar expects maize to fall by INR 100–INR 200 on higher acreage and production. Gaurav Kochar, an agri commodities trader from Madhya Pradesh, also said maize prices will remain on a downtrend till December.

Prices of sona masoori RICE, a premium non-basmati rice, were also steady at INR 5,000 per 100 kg at Bhavanipuram in Andhra Pradesh's Vijayawada, Ravi Shankar, a local trader, said. Sona masoori price is likely to remain steady till December as demand and supply are at par, Shankar said.  End

Edited by Ashish Shirke

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