Maize is a plant that has been cultivated for 8,000-10,000 years. It is the third most cultivated grain after wheat and paddy. 1.16 billion tons of maize were produced in the production season of 2020/21. Maize is usually grown in hot and humid regions and rainy or irrigated agricultural areas. It is mainly used in starch and feed industries. Maize is produced in the form of maize grain, maize silage or food maize in Turkey.

It is the third most produced grain in Turkey after wheat and barley. In 2021, 6.75 million tons of maize was cultivated in an area of 6.9 million decares by 275,000 farmers.

Maize grain is the raw material for producing starch. It is widely produced in Turkey. In recent years, in addition to traditional maize cultivation areas such as Eastern Mediterranean and Southeastern Anatolia, such areas have expanded significantly in Central Anatolia and Aegean regions.