Tamil Nadu : Better price nudges more farmers to grow maize in Tiruchy
Farmers in Tiruchy are shifting from paddy to maize, pulses, oilseeds and sorghum, planting 1.13 lakh acres of cash crops against 75,000 acres of paddy. Maize alone covers 49,700 acres and may reach 60,000. Better prices, higher yields and favourable rainfall are driving the trend, supported by NADP interventions.
TIRUCHY: Farmers in Tiruchy have brought significantly larger areas under maize, pulses, oilseeds and sorghum cultivation compared to paddy, encouraged by high yield and better market price. While paddy has been cultivated in about 75,000 acres during the current samba season, the area under cash crops has increased to 1.13 lakh acres, including 49,700 acres under maize cultivation.
According to agriculture department officials, maize being a short-term crop ensures good returns within a brief period, and is particularly suitable for fields with limited irrigation sources. As per data shared by agricultural department, maize was cultivated in 51,769 acres in 2023-24 as against the target of 27,911 acres. In 2024-25, the cultivation area was 54,076 acres against a target of 35,333 acres.
This year, the area under cultivation has already reached 49,700 acres, and officials are confident it will touch 60,000 acres by the end of 2025. Farmers in rainfed regions such as Manapparai, Vaiyampatti, Musiri, T Pettai, Thottiyam, Thuraiyur, Uppiliapuram, Manachanallur and Pullambadi, predominantly cultivate cash crops like maize and sorghum, as well as oilseeds such as sunflower, gingelly, groundnut, and pulses including black gram and red gram.
So far, 48,691 acres have been brought under sorghum cultivation, 4,009 acres under pulses and 11,098 acres under oilseeds cultivation in Tiruchy district. “Good rainfall encouraged us to raise maize in around five acres. We got `27 per kg last year, which was `5 more than what we got in 2023. Farmers suffered heavy losses due to army worm last year. But now there is no such threat,” said P Kanagaraj, a farmer from Pullambadi.
“High yield due to favourable rain and better returns are the major reasons for the increase in average. Maize is now used for ethanol production and as poultry feed, so more farmers are opting for it. This shift has significantly reduced the area under cotton, as many cotton growers have switched to maize,” said R Sugumar, Assistant Director of Agriculture.
Apart from farmers cultivating maize on their own, the agriculture department promotes its cultivation by distributing seeds and other inputs to farmers at subsidized rates under the National Agriculture Development Programme (NADP). According to sources, for 2025-26, Tiruchy district has been set a target of 5,000 acres for establishing ‘Maize Demonstration Plots’ under the NADP.
Year – Target Actual
2023-24 27,911 – 51,769
2024-25 35,333 – 54,076
2025 49,700
Ñormal yield 2,350 kg to 2,850 kg per acre Last two years 3,250 kg to 3,800 kg per acre
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Source : The New Indian Express
