Protests erupt in North Karnataka as market prices fall sharply; government explores procurement, industry coordination, and MSP support
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has stepped in to address the sharp crash in maize prices, which has triggered widespread protests across North Karnataka. Chairing an urgent meeting in Bengaluru, the CM said the government will begin discussions with distilleries and major maize-buying industries to stabilise demand and ensure farmers receive fair prices.
The move comes amid mounting distress among farmers, many of whom have staged demonstrations after prices in several markets dipped well below expectations — far from remunerative levels and in some places even below operational costs.
Talks With Distilleries to Boost Demand
Siddaramaiah said that maize is a critical raw material for the alcohol, poultry feed, and starch industries, and that the government will immediately engage with distillery owners to:
- Push them to increase maize procurement
- Ensure faster lifting of stocks
- Enable better prices through coordinated buying
Officials said the goal is to ease the supply glut by accelerating industrial demand, especially as distilleries are among the largest bulk purchasers.
Farmer Protests Intensify in North Karnataka
Farmers from Haveri, Dharwad, Gadag, Vijayapura, Belagavi, and Bagalkot have taken to the streets over the past week, alleging that traders are quoting unreasonably low prices despite good-quality harvests.
Many farmers said they were forced to sell their produce at rates far below the Minimum Support Price (MSP), causing severe financial strain. Some APMC markets reportedly saw prices fall by hundreds of rupees per quintal within days.
Govt Examining MSP Operations & Procurement Support
According to officials present at the meeting, the Chief Minister instructed the Agriculture and Food Departments to:
- Review ongoing MSP procurement
- Assess the need for immediate intervention under the Price Support Scheme (PSS)
- Coordinate with the Centre for enhanced procurement if required
- Strengthen market monitoring to prevent exploitation by traders
The government is also looking at whether the Karnataka State Cooperative Marketing Federation (KSCMF) can step in for market stabilisation.
Why the Crash Happened
Experts attribute the price decline to:
- A bumper maize harvest this season
- Slow lifting of stock by distilleries
- Weak demand from poultry feed mills
- Increased arrivals overwhelming APMC infrastructure
- A mismatch between MSP expectations and market behaviour
The combination of high supply and sluggish off-take has pushed farmers into distress.
CM Promises Swift Action
Siddaramaiah assured farmer groups that the government will not allow distress sales and is committed to securing fair returns.
“We will talk to all stakeholders and take necessary steps to stabilise prices,” he reportedly said.
The Agriculture Department will submit a detailed assessment within the next few days, after which the state is likely to announce market intervention measures.
%20(2).png)
0 Comments