Cyclones on one hand and lack of rains on the other have spoiled the agriculture department's efforts in reaching the target of 23.05 lakh tonne of maize in the kharif (the first crop) season of 2006-07 in Andhra Pradesh. | |
| Final reports coming from all over the state show that farmers could harvest only 13.60 lakh tonne of maize, the second-largest food crop cultivated in the state. |
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| As maize is principally a kharif crop in most parts of Andhra and rabi (the second) crop is not significant, the state's farmers may not cross last year's harvested figures. |
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| While market said this would lead to scarcity of maize even after rabi crop hit the market, the officials felt that the state might lose its second place in the country's maize cultivation. |
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| Agri officials blame a slump in hectarage for the failure to achieve the target. While farmers and officials were prepared to sow the crop in 6.7 lakh hectares from June to August last year, the hectarage turned out to be 5.33 lakh hectares at last. While lack of rains had hit sowing in some districts, cyclones damaged growing crop in other areas. |
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| Consequently, against the expected 3,441 kg a hectare productivity, farmers could achieve only 2,552 kg. Although crop of 100-110 days can typically yield 64 quintal of maize a hectare, Andhra farmers have so far failed to go anywhere near that figure. |
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| The state's farmers harvested 30.87 lakh tonne of maize (kharif plus rabi) from 7.58 lakh hectares in 2005-06 (4,017 kg a hectare) and 20.64 lakh tonne (kharif plus rabi) from 6.57 lakh hectares in 2004-05 (3,142 kg a hectare). But maize production may fall far below these levels this financial year. |
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| Sources said the open market maize price climbed to Rs 760 a quintal from Rs 550 in recent months, thanks to commodities exchanges and shortage of crop. Farmers, expecting a further spurt in prices, are selling the crop judiciously according to their bare necessities. |
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| The tight supply of maize has badly hit the poultry industry as well, as the industry consumes almost the entire local production of the crop with it being the main ingredient in poultry feed. |
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| The government has already released 4.5 lakh tonne of maize it stored in Food Corporation of India warehouses at concessional rates to poultry farmers. The latter appealed to the Centre to release the remaining 2 lakh tonne also, but that is still lying in the godowns. |
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| Although maize exports have slowed down or seem to have stopped, poultry farmers hint at a temporary ban on exports. |
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| They said a price of around Rs 6 a kg would help them come out of the Rs 100 crore loss they had suffered during the bird-flu crisis last year. A further hike in maize prices would only spell irrecoverable doom for them, they added. |
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