Karnataka : Maize farmers refuse to bear transport charges to sell at Dharwad procurement centre
Maize farmers in Karnataka face MSP failure after procurement centres were placed far from major producing areas. Transporting grain to Dharwad raises costs, discouraging participation. Many farmers skipped registration and sold to private traders instead. Producers urge local procurement and simpler standards to ensure fair prices and effective support program.
Koppal: Rather than establishing the procurement centre in regions known for high maize production, state govt chose to establish one in faraway Dharwad. This choice resulted in the notable failure of a crucial element — Minimum Support Price (MSP).This season, the state produced 54 lakh tonnes of maize, and in response to the steep decline in prices, the state govt announced it would buy up to 50 quintals of maize from each farmer at a rate of Rs 2,400 per quintal. A total of 7 lakh tonnes will be procured statewide in this manner.Following the directives of the state govt, KMF established five maize procurement centres across the state, in Gubbi, Shikaripura, Dharwad, Hassan, and Rajanukunte in Bengaluru. Farmers are required to register through the agriculture department, e-governance, or NIC portals before selling their crops. Those who register will receive procurement schedules via SMS.In Ballari, 42 farmers signed up to sell 771.12 quintals, while 323 farmers in Koppal are offering 6,447.8 quintals, and 479 farmers in Vijayanagara registered 6,128 quintals. However, transporting the produce to Dharwad at their own cost posed a challenge for the farmers.
As a result, maize farmers in Raichur district opted out of the registration process.”The procurement centres should have been established within the RABAKOVI Milk Federation of KMF. The govt has not fulfilled this obligation, undermining the basic objective of the MSP. If we incur transportation costs, we will end up with nothing,” stated Basavaraj Maradi, a maize farmer from Yelburga taluk, Koppal district.Officials from RABAKOVI Milk Union gathered crop samples from registered farmers, which have been forwarded to the Dharwad KMF for analysis. KMF indicated that it will only buy the crops if they conform to the required standards, such as the moisture content not exceeding 14%.Madhav Reddy, president of the State Farmers’ Association and Hasiru Sene, voiced his frustration over the govt’s procurement criteria being detrimental to farmers. He emphasised that the crops should be purchased near the production area. If farmers are responsible for transportation costs, they will be left with nothing. Due to the high transportation expenses, many maize growers are selling their produce to local private traders.
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Source : The Times Of India
