TIRUCHY: A section of farmers staged a protest in Tiruchy on Monday, demanding a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 2,400 per quintal of maize as there was a steep fall in the prices in recent days.
The members of Tamil Nadu River and Ayacutdars Association, headed by the state president P Viswanathan, who assembled in front of the Tiruchy Collectorate with the harvested maize, staged a protest demanding to fix an MSP of Rs 2,400 per quintal.
They said that the prices of maize have gone down due to various reasons. They claimed that the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices had fixed an MSP of Rs 2,400 per quintal of maize during the 2025-26 kharif season, but the traders have been demanding a lower MSP than the actual one announced by the CACP.
The farmers who carried the harvested maize spilled them on the road and raised slogans in support of their demand. They also demanded a fair MSP to ensure the livelihood of the farmers who cultivate maize.
Later, speaking to reporters, Viswanathan said that the farmers who have been fighting all odds to cultivate maize in the region, but they are not able to get proper pricing for their produce. The traders quote a particular price for the maize. When the farmers point out the MSP fixed by the government, they pick up arguments and even fail to procure the product.
“We demand a proper monitoring committee to follow the MSP of agricultural products,” said Viswanathan.