India increased corn exports almost 5 times

According to Reuters, India will increase corn exports to a 3-year high in 2026 due to lower logistics costs to Asian buyers than competitors and lower prices under pressure from record production.

The war in the Middle East has sharply increased global freight rates, which led to increased export demand for Indian corn, especially from Vietnam, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan, which have become unprofitable to buy corn from the United States and South America.

According to the Indian Ministry of Commerce, in 5 months of 2026 corn exports increased compared to the same period of the previous year from 228,844 thousand tons to 1.08 million tons, and by the end of the year they may reach a 3-year high of 1.8 million tons (805,935 thousand tons in 2025).

In the 2025/26 MY, the country increased its corn production by 27% compared to the previous season to a record 55 million tonnes, as farmers were encouraged by higher grain prices in 2024, driven by strong demand from the ethanol industry.

Amid strong production, corn prices have recently started to decline, but a revival in exports has supported them. However, only neighboring countries are currently actively buying Indian corn, while others are resuming imports from the United States.

Experts expect corn exports from India to increase in October, when the new crop begins to be harvested. However, if the El Niño climate phenomenon negatively affects the amount of rainfall in the country, the corn harvest will decrease, as farmers will prefer to grow other crops.

Tags: corn, India