Karnataka - Shimoga

Maize growers may get MSP plus Rs. 30 a quintal

Facility: Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Hartalu Halappa addressing a press conference after inaugurating the maize purchase centre in Shimoga on Saturday.

SHIMOGA: Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Hartalu Halappa said here on Saturday that the Government was planning to pay Rs. 30 for a quintal of maize in addition to the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs. 840 a quintal.

Talking to presspersons after inaugurating the purchase centre for maize at the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) yard here, he said that the Government was committed to purchasing maize by paying growers the MSP. He said that purchase centres located at Shimoga, Bhadravati, Tyavarekoppa, Shikarpur, Shiralkoppa, Anavatti, Sorab and Anandapuram started functioning from Saturday.

Mr. Halappa said that total production of maize in Shimoga district was expected to touch 24-lakh-quintal mark this year. Farmers who had grown maize on their private land had been asked to produce records of rights and those who had grown it on “bagair hukum” land had been asked to produce confirmation letter from the revenue officials concerned to sell their produce through the purchase centres.

The Minister said that the Government had come forward to offer Rs. 930 for a quintal of paddy and Rs. 1,400 for quintal of levy rice.

When the issue of shortage of LPG cylinders was brought to the Minister’s notice, he said he had discussed the issue with authorities of LPG companies and they had promised to solve the problem soon.

Director of the Karnataka State Cooperative Federation Shantaveerappa Gowda, the former Shimoga MP K.G. Shivappa and chairman of the Shimoga APMC Ayanur Shivanandappa were present.

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