Maize output in Andhra Pradesh has registered a drop of around 33 per cent to 13.61 lakh tonne in 2006-07 kharif season from 20.73 lakh tonne in 2005-06, according to a data released by the state agriculture department. | |
| The drop is mainly attributed to poor rainfall and cyclone during the crop season, leading to a decline in hectarage and yield. Maize was sown in 5.33 lakh hectare and the yield was 2,554 kg as against 5.86 lakh hectare with an yield of 3,538 kg a hectare in 2005-06. |
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| The kharif harvest might not be sufficient to meet the demand of poultry industry in the coming months.The industry is expected to consume 17 lakh tonne maize in 2007-08. Though the officials in the state agriculture department did not give an estimate for the rabi crop, poultry industry, which is growing at an annual rate of 6-7 per cent in the state, optimistically projects the rabi crop at 12 lakh tonne. |
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| In 2005-06, the total output was 29.18 lakh tonne (kharif 20.73 lakh tonne and rabi 8.45 lakh tonne). |
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| Farmers' preference to use maize as the main ingredient for poultry feed in place of wheat, rava, and broken rice has pushed its demand skywards. Though the demand played a role in the spurt of maize prices in the open market, poultry farmers blame forward trading and the consequent alleged hoarding of maize by corporates and big exporters for the price rise. |
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| Prices in the state zoomed up to Rs 800 a quintal from Rs 500 during the current financial year. In the northern states, prices of the commodity even touched the Rs 1000 level. Increase in maize prices fuelled poultry feed cost from Rs 950 a quintal (March 2006) to to Rs 1,100 a quintal (March 2007) in AP. |
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| A National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC) spokesman said the Centre had not yet responded to the poultry industry's plea to ban forward trading in maize. He said big firms such as Cargill, ITC and Adani Exports cornered massive maize stocks, which led to artificial scarcity. On the other hand, maize farmers felt that because of commodities exchanges, they could earn good profits. |
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