State Government Should Immediately Open Maize Procurement Centres: Basavaraj BommaiMaize Must Be Purchased at a Price Higher Than MSP as Demanded by Farmers: Bommai

Gadag: Former Chief Minister and MP Basavaraj Bommai has urged the state government to immediately open maize procurement centres and purchase maize at a price higher than the Minimum Support Price (MSP) as demanded by farmers. Otherwise, he warned, farmers would be forced to launch an agitation similar to the one they held demanding a fair price for sugarcane.

Speaking to reporters in Gadag, Bommai said maize is cultivated by farmers across the state, covering around 17 lakh hectares of land. The area under maize cultivation is increasing every year. Last year, the total production was 54 lakh metric tonnes, and this year too, the production has remained the same. Despite an additional two lakh hectares being brought under cultivation, the yield has not increased proportionately.

He added that maize crops have been damaged in over two lakh hectares, and there has been a lot of discrimination in granting compensation for the loss. The field-cutting survey has not been conducted properly, resulting in many areas being left out even though crops were grown there.

“In some taluks, the survey report claims that only about 10% of the total cultivated area has suffered loss, which is highly unscientific and false. For example, in Mundaragi taluk of Gadag district, even though the survey was conducted, the report says not even one acre has been damaged. Such reports are completely misleading and unjust to farmers,” Bommai stated.

He pointed out that the current MSP of ₹2,400 per quintal is insufficient, and farmers are already protesting for a higher rate. “The state government must open procurement centres and start purchasing maize immediately,” he demanded.

KMF Should Be Directed to Buy Maize
Bommai further said the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) uses about 2 to 2.5 lakh tonnes of maize annually and should be ordered to buy directly from farmers instead of purchasing through traders or agents. “If KMF procures around 2.5 lakh tonnes directly from farmers, the market demand will rise and the price will improve. Along with that, the state government must also begin its own procurement. Otherwise, farmers across the state will face severe hardship,” he warned.

He reminded that farmers have already submitted memorandums and staged protests, urging the government to act swiftly. “The government should immediately start maize procurement centres and buy maize at a rate higher than the MSP as demanded by the farmers. If this is not done, farmers will have no choice but to launch a strong agitation—just as they did for sugarcane prices,” Bommai cautioned.

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