Farmers in North Karnataka are raising their voices loud and clear! They want the government to buy maize at the Minimum Support Price (MSP), which currently stands at ₹2,400 per quintal. But the price is falling fast, hovering around ₹1,814 in November, which is 17% less than last year! This slide has left many farmers worried and protesting on the streets. Enter the Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramiah, stepping in with a promise of action. He shared on X, after listening to the farmers’ concerns, that the state government will do everything possible to support maize growers. "A meeting will be held with major distilleries in the State to direct them to immediately procure maize for ethanol production," he said. Not stopping there, talks will also happen with the poultry industry, which is a big buyer of maize. Why this push now? Well, the distilleries had once stocked up maize when prices were low but are now refusing to buy more. This is against the rules because they must keep buying as needed. Plus, the quota for Karnataka to produce ethanol from maize is low, which means distilleries cannot buy enough maize from farmers. Adding fuel to the fire, the Union Ministry of Food and Public Distribution issued guidelines for buying maize through Nafed and NCCF under the MSP scheme. Unfortunately, procurement has not yet started, making the crisis worse. To fix this, the state plans to ask the Central Government to restrict maize imports, hitting about 70 lakh tonnes, which floods the market and keeps prices low. Farmers want the agencies to urgently begin buying around 8 lakh tonnes of maize to stabilize the market. So, will the powerful distilleries and poultry giants answer the call? Karnataka farmers are surely hoping the government’s promises turn into quick action. The maize saga is far from over, but at least the government has declared it stands firmly with its farmers!