Maize prices in India: feed demand, the seasons and what moves prices
Where maize is grown and traded, why poultry feed, starch and ethanol demand set its price, the kharif and rabi crops, moisture and quality, and the latest maize prices across markets.
What this guide covers
Maize is grown in almost every state and is one of the main crops of Telangana's rabi season. Most of it ends up as animal feed, especially for poultry, so its price matters well beyond the farm. This guide explains where maize is grown, who buys it, the seasons, what moves prices, and the latest prices across markets.
Where maize is grown and traded
Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu are among the largest producers. Davangere in Karnataka is one of the best-known maize markets; in Telangana, yards such as Nizamabad, Siddipet and Karimnagar see large arrivals in season.
Who buys maize
Animal feed, poultry feed above all, takes the largest share of India's maize, which is why maize prices matter to egg and broiler prices; our guide to egg prices and feed costs follows maize alongside egg rates. Starch makers buy maize for food and industry, and demand from distilleries making ethanol from grain has grown in recent years. Food use, such as corn flour and snacks, is smaller.
The seasons
Most maize is a kharif crop, sown with the monsoon and harvested from about September to November. Rabi maize, grown under irrigation in states such as Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, is harvested from about February to April and is usually of higher yield. Prices often soften when each harvest arrives and firm up between harvests.
Quality and moisture
Freshly harvested maize can hold a lot of moisture; wet grain loses weight as it dries and can develop moulds, so buyers pay less for it or deduct for moisture. Grain size, colour, broken and damaged grains and foreign matter also count. Feed makers are wary of aflatoxin, a toxin from moulds, which makes well-dried maize worth more.
MSP and other measures
The central government announces a minimum support price for maize. When market prices fall well below it, state agencies have bought maize from farmers at the MSP in some seasons; in Telangana this has been done through MARKFED. Import rules, ethanol policy and the price of other feed grains can also move maize prices.
What the mandi price means
Markets report a minimum, maximum and modal price per quintal; the modal price is what most of the day's maize sold at. Agmarknet lists maize by variety, for example hybrid, local or yellow maize, and the same market can report different prices for each on the same day. Our market pages follow each market's main variety, so its history stays comparable from one day to the next.
The latest maize prices
On 15 Oct, the median mandi price of maize across the markets that reported it that day was ₹2,328 per quintal; 370 markets reported it in the last 30 days. Our maize page lists every state and market, with the lowest and highest prices and charts.
Week by week
Over the last 8 weeks, the weekly median price moved from ₹2,302 per quintal (week ending 23 Aug 2026) to ₹2,250 per quintal (week ending 11 Oct 2026), a change of -2.3%. Each figure is the median of every price that markets reported that week (Monday to Sunday).
| Week ending | Median price | Markets (busiest day) |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Oct 2026 | ₹2,250 per quintal | 197 |
| 4 Oct 2026 | ₹2,250 per quintal | 185 |
| 27 Sep 2026 | ₹2,300 per quintal | 160 |
| 20 Sep 2026 | ₹2,322 per quintal | 141 |
| 13 Sep 2026 | ₹2,360 per quintal | 135 |
| 6 Sep 2026 | ₹2,337 per quintal | 143 |
| 30 Aug 2026 | ₹2,350 per quintal | 142 |
| 23 Aug 2026 | ₹2,302 per quintal | 141 |
Cheaper and dearer months
Across 19 full years of records between 2003 and 2025, maize has usually been cheapest in February and dearest in August. The table shows how far each month's median has typically been above or below its year's average. It describes past patterns, not a forecast: a bad season or a bumper crop can break it.
| Month | Usual gap to the year's average |
|---|---|
| January | -2.5% |
| February | -3.1% |
| March | -2.0% |
| April | -2.4% |
| May | -2.8% |
| June | +0.7% |
| July | +3.5% |
| August | +6.5% |
| September | +5.8% |
| October | -1.6% |
| November | -1.8% |
| December | -0.4% |
Maize in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh
Telangana grows maize in both seasons, with a large rabi crop in the north of the state, and Andhra Pradesh grows rabi maize in the coastal districts. Both states are also home to a large poultry industry, which buys much of the local crop. Our Telangana and Andhra Pradesh pages show each yard's maize prices in English and Telugu.
Common questions
Why do maize prices affect egg prices? Maize is the main energy source in poultry feed, and feed is the largest cost of producing an egg; dearer maize squeezes farmers and, over time, tends to show up in egg prices.
When are maize prices usually lowest? In our records (19 full years between 2003 and 2025), maize has usually been cheapest in February and dearest in August. A poor or bumper crop can change that in any one year.
Why is my maize priced lower than the mandi's top price? The top price is for the best, driest lots; moisture, damaged grains and foreign matter lower what a lot fetches.
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