Maize farmers hit by crash in price
Maize farmers in Tamil Nadu are facing heavy losses as market prices have crashed to around ₹1,600 per quintal, far below the MSP of ₹2,400. Alleging trader syndicates and oversupply, farmer groups are demanding government procurement through NAFED and intervention to prevent distress sales across major maize-growing districts.
Maize farmers in Perambalur and Tiruchi are facing severe distress due to crash in procurement price well below the minimum support price (MSP) fixed by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). The CACP had fixed the MSP for maize at ₹2,400 a quintal for the 2025-26 kharif season. But farmers complain that traders are offering less than ₹1,600 a quintal, claiming that there is a glut in the market. Maize is widely grown in several parts of the State including Perambalur, Tiruchi and Ariyalur districts. “It is a major crop in Perambalur district, with nearly 76,000 hectares being covered this year and an estimated production of 4,75,750 metric tonnes,” says R.Raja Chidambaram, a native of the district and State secretary of Tamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam. His and other farmers organisations have held agitations to highlight the issue but to no avail.
Traders had offered up to ₹2,600 a quintal last year, which lured more farmers to opt for maize cultivation this year. “But now traders are offering less than ₹1,600 a quintal,” rues Mr. Raja Chidambaram. He alleges that traders have formed a syndicate to reduce the prices. “At many places, the harvested crop remains on the field as farmers are wary of incurring transport costs and further losses,” he said. According to Sami Natarajan, State general secretary, Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, affiliated to the CPI(M), maize is widely grown in about 17 districts in the State. “About 30 lakh tonnes of maize is produced in two seasons in the State in a year, and farmers are faced with a loss of over ₹2,000 crore due to the crash in price,” he claimed in a recent statement.
Nearly 65% of the production in the State is used as chicken and cattle feed and procured through middlemen who form a syndicate to bring down the prices. Hence, procurement of maize must be done by the government, which must hold tripartite talks with traders, the statement said. Mr. Raja Chidambaram says the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) should come forward to procure maize from farmers. Besides, the district authorities should hold talks with traders to dissuade them from forming syndicates while quoting prices at the regulated markets.
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Source : The Hindu
