Date:29/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/29/stories/2007112954570500.htm

Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore

TNAU favours maize sowing

Staff Reporter

COIMBATORE: Maize price during the harvest season of February-March 2008 is expected to remain around Rs. 700 – Rs. 750 a quintal. Hence farmers are advised to take up maize sowing during the ‘Karthigai pattam’ (November) by the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.

According to a university release, increase in the Government support price at Rs. 620 a quintal as against Rs. 540 in the previous year has favoured maize over others such as groundnut.

Increase in demand

Rising incomes and the subsequent growth in meat and poultry consumption have also been cited as reasons for rapid increase in the demand for maize as feed. Demand for maize by the poultry industry is estimated to be around eight lakh tonnes.

A team, consisting of N. Raveendaran, S. Selvam, P. Murugananthi and P. Padmavathy, of Domestic and Export Market Intelligence Cell of the university has made the forecast based on the past 12-year analysis of maize price in the Udumalpet market.

India produces around 15 million tonnes of maize on 8.3 million hectares with a productivity of 1.8 tonne a hectare. In Tamil Nadu, it accounts for 83.4 per cent of the total area under millets.

It is mainly grown in Perambalur, Dindigul, Coimbatore, Salem, Erode and Virudhunagar. According to trade sources, maize exports are expected to touch the five lakh tonne mark. Exports will mainly be to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. This is expected to have a positive impact on the maize price.