India, Aug. 18 -- A longstanding trend of farmers preferring cereal crops over scarce pulses and oilseeds has been bolstered by a craze for maize and its area shows a meteoric rise over the past few years.

Corn is a new favourite among growers due to its use in making ethanol for India's high-priority biofuels programme. This summer, farmers have sown more maize than in any of the past five years.

The total area has jumped to 9.8 million hectares, which represents a 17% rise in the same period, latest official data showed. Output is also fast rising, growing by 11% in 2024-25 to nearly a quarter of a million tonnes.

Cultivators seem to be responding to measures to promote maize or corn as the next big commercial crop, after wheat and r...