Complaining that the procurement price of maize has drastically fallen to ₹1,600 to ₹1,700 a quintal after the harvest in Virudhunagar district, Southern Districts Farmers Association has sought the State Government’s intervention in assuring ₹2,500 per quintal for the maize farmers.
In a statement, its Virudhunagar district secretary, R. Ram Pandian, said that farmers had cultivated maize in around 50,000 acres in the district. The price of maize was hovering around ₹2,200 to ₹2,500 per quintal in the beginning of the cultivation season.
This attracted the farmers towards maize cultivation, thus increasing its coverage.
The harvest has been going on for the last two months. Though mostly small and marginal farmers were involved in maize cultivation, traders have been buying the maize for a lower price of ₹1,600 to ₹1,700 a quintal.
Hence, the State Government should open direct purchase centres for maize like the DPCs for paddy and buy the maize for ₹2,500.
