Date:07/11/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/11/07/stories/2009110755210300.htm

Karnataka - Hassan

Revanna seeks minimum support price for maize

Staff Correspondent

Farmers urged not to sell produce till they get a good price

HASSAN: The former Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader H.D. Revanna has asked the Government to declare Minimum Support Price (MSP) for maize. “If this is not done by Monday, all Janata Dal (S) MLAs and panchayat members from the district will stage a dharna in front of the Chief Minister’s residence in Bangalore,” he added.

He also appealed to farmers not to sell their produce in distress and instead wait for a few days so that they could get a good price.

Addressing presspersons here on Friday, Mr. Revanna said that following a letter from Hassan MP H.D. Deve Gowda to Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, the latter had written back saying instructions had been given to the Government of Karnataka to procure maize and to ensure that there were no distress sales by farmers.

Mr. Revanna said farmers had grown maize on 55,000 hectares in the district this time and the yield expected was around 2.5 lakh tonnes. “For domestic use, farmers need 50,000 tonnes of maize, but the remaining should be purchased by the Government,” he said.

The former Minister said farmers generally grew potato on 77,000 hectares of land in the district, but blight destroyed the crop on 55,000 hectares last year.