Corn fails to fetch desired price for farmers despite bumper yield

TIRUCHY: Despite bumper yield, a drastic drop in corn and maize prices at open markets have left farmers to rue. It is with much toil, braving pest attack and other challenges, that farmers had harvested the crop in the last two seasons. Several areas even saw constant fluctuation in the area of cultivation.

However, it is one of the largest cultivated crops raised in the district in about 9,500 hectares (corn and maize). Crossing all hurdles, not a ray of positivity awaited them but only drop in price, pushing several farmers into debts and financial crisis. 

Talking about the market price, V Sekaran, a farmer from Tiruchy said, “Usually, the retail price for maize stays at Rs 30-40 per kg, while at open market it is currently Rs 20 - 22. The price of corn has come down to Rs 12 - 15 in the market. We have brought our crops to harvesting stages crossing all hardships, but the market price has left us in a major loss.

Maize, in particular, has not provided any profit in the last two years.” Adding fuel to the fire, some traders hoarded crops for selling it at high prices, he rued and requested the Agriculture marketing department to open special auction centres like the recent gingelly auction centre for regulating the sale. 

Speaking to TNIE, an agricultural expert from Tiruchy, said, “Cotton and maize take up almost equal area of cultivation. Based on rainfall in the monsoon season, the areas will fluctuate and crop pattern will undergo a shift. This season maize has failed to fetch the expected price, but cotton has reached record high price. Due to this farmers are likely to shift to cotton cultivation.”