Indore: The elevated prices of maize during the recent season have lured farmers to increase the area under cultivation in the Indore division.
Farmers in the Indore division have cultivated maize, a summer or kharif crop, on more than 3 lakh hectare, up from the previous year, as maize prices surged in the last season.
Data from the agricultural department revealed that the acreage under maize in the Indore division was approximately 3.40 lakh hectare.
The total area under grains was reported to be more than 4 lakh hectare.
"Farmers have increased the area under maize in this region. Maize prices were more favourable and remained high for nearly the entire season. Anticipating better remuneration, farmers allocated more space to maize cultivation," said Hukumchand Patel, president of Bhartiya Kisan Sangh, Dewas.
Patel mentioned that Udainagar and Satwas tehsil in Ujjain district have witnessed an encouraging surge in the area under maize.
According to traders, maize in the spot market in Indore is currently trading at Rs 2,000-2,200 per quintal. Maize prices had surged to Rs 2,400 per quintal a few weeks prior.
The Minimum Support Price (MSP) for maize for the 2024-25 season has been set at Rs 2,225 per quintal.
The elevated maize prices have led to an increase in the operational costs of industries that utilize maize as a raw material. The poultry and starch industries have been adversely affected by the high maize prices.
The new season's supply of maize is anticipated to commence from October.
Farmers expressed concern that continuous rains might deteriorate the quality of the crop reaching maturity.
In the Indore division, kharif crops are sown on more than 20 lakh hectare.