White corn yields soar, but middlemen slash farmer profits
Farmers in Krishna river island villages face distress despite bumper white corn harvest. Middlemen pay just ₹250 for 60 cobs—about ₹4 each—while city consumers pay ₹30 per cob. Transport costs via boats add to losses. Many farmers sell roadside fried corn directly. Associations demand urgent government action.
Vijayawada: Farmers in the island villages of the Krishna river downstream of Prakasam barrage are facing severe distress despite a bumper corn harvest this season. Many of them switched from yellow to white corn, resulting in higher yields compared to previous years. However, their joy was short-lived as middlemen began exploiting the situation by offering very low prices.”We worked hard and got a good yield this time, but the middlemen are not even paying Rs 250 for a bag of 60 corn ears. It feels like we are giving away our produce for free,” lamented Ramesh, a farmer from Pamula Lanka village.Farmers also point out that transportation has worsened their plight. “After the floods, we have to use boats to bring the corn to the mainland. That itself costs us money, and still, we are not getting a fair price,” said Lakshmi Prasad, another farmer from Thodelladibba island.Many farmers took a new route and started selling fried corn ears on the roadside for Rs 15 each. “We have decided to sell our own produce to avoid losses. My wife arranged a stall at Vijayawada – Avanigadda main road and is selling corn directly to the consumers,” said L Rajarao, a farmer from Thotlavalluru.
While farmers earn barely Rs 4 for each ear of corn, city consumers are shelling out a staggering Rs 30 for the same product in Vijayawada’s retail markets. “It is shocking to hear that farmers are being paid so little. We are buying one corn cob for Rs 30 on the roadside. The middlemen are clearly looting both farmers and consumers,” said K Sujatha, a resident of Moghalrajpuram, after buying roasted corn.Farmers association leader K Raju expressed anger: “If farmers are struggling, and we are still paying so much, then who is taking the profit? Authorities must step in.”The stark disparity between farm-gate prices and retail rates has once again highlighted the long-standing problem of middlemen exploitation in the agriculture sector. Farmers are now urging the govt to intervene and ensure they get a fair share for their produce.
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Source : The Times Of India
