Bhubaneswar
Maize farming is the mainstay of the agricultural landscape of tribal-dominated Nabarangpur district of Odisha. Both tribals and non-tribals of the district grow maize on about 65,000 hectares, yielding nearly 7.8 lakh metric tonnes annually. It comprises around 30 per cent of the total maize production in the state, earning the district the sobriquet ‘maize basket’ of Odisha.
The significant spurt in maize production was brought about after the formation of about 15 farmer producer companies (FPOs), like Nabarangi Farmer Producer Company (NFPO) and Mata Dongri Farmer Producer Company (MDFPO), under Odisha Rural Development and Marketing (ORMAS) in the district.
“Most farmers now grow hybrid varieties like ADV 759, DKC9126 and CP333. This has helped maize production register a growth of more than 50 per cent. The success in maize farming in Nabarangpur inspired the state government to launch Mukhyamantri Maka Mission (MMM) in 2023 to establish maize as a major cereal crop to cover about 45 blocks of 15 districts in the first phase,” former Chief District Agriculture Officer Sudhir Behera, who is now Joint Director (Agriculture) in the state capital Bhubaneswar, told The Indian Tribal.
Farmers, mostly from the Gond, Bhathra, Santhal, Pujari and Saunta tribal communities, yield 40 to 45 quintals of maize per acre during the Rabi season (October-December) every year. On the other hand, about 12 years ago, they used to harvest a maximum of up to 30 quintals per acre during Rabi. Similarly, they now produce 25 to 35 quintals per acre during the Kharif season (June-October) annually. In contrast, old-timers used to harvest up to 20 quintals per acre during Kharif. Another reason for the ‘low yield’ in the past was farmers’ lack of knowledge about the proper plantation process and fertiliser and pest/insect management.
Maize cultivation then picked up pace with government finance released to FPOs through ORMAS. However, different FPOs were provided varying amounts of assistance. The performance and number of farmer shareholders of FPOs were the yardsticks that determined the amount of assistance. Assistance was provided to boost the production not only of maize, but also of other crops like millets.
For example, NFPO received nearly Rs 61.5 lakh, while MDFPO got about Rs 45 lakh. The assistance was used to meet expenditure incurred on several components, including the purchase of seeds, fertiliser and pesticides, salary payments, administrative management, operational procedures, farmer training, and the establishment of ‘agri malls’ and other marketing channels.
Those tribals who have forked out Rs 1,000 each to become shareholders of different FPOs get high-quality hybrid seeds, fertilisers, pesticides and agricultural necessities from their ‘agri malls’ as interest-free loans. They, who have now learnt the techniques of modern plantation processes and fertiliser and pest/insect management under their FPOs, pay it off after harvest.
“Formed in 2021, our FPO, which clocks an annual turnover of up to Rs 4 crore from maize, has 700 farmers as its shareholders. Out of them, 350 grow maize. We sell seeds to them at about Rs 1,500 to Rs 1,700 per quintal by keeping Rs 10 as our profit margin. On the other hand, traders sell at Rs 2,200 to Rs 2,300 by keeping a profit margin of a minimum of 20 per cent. The seeds are provided in packets. Each of them contains three kilograms of seeds, and a farmer uses two packets per acre,” said Dipankar Mistry, the NFPO’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
“Maize cultivation by our shareholders was promoted under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Development Mission launched in 2011 by the Union Ministry of Rural Development. Launched in 2023, MMM of the state government took other FPOs into its ambit,” he added, lending credence to Sudhir’s statement.
Dipankar’s NFPO provides fertilisers like urea and DAP (Diammonium Phosphate). While it sells a packet of 45 kilograms of urea at Rs 280, its selling price for a packet of DAP (45 kilograms) is Rs 1,350. Similarly, it sells nano urea (liquid) of 500 ml at Rs 225 and nano DAP of the same quantity at Rs 550, with a profit margin of Rs 10 per packet and per bottle of nano fertilisers.
On the contrary, vendors are claimed to sell each packet of urea of the same quantity at Rs 350 and that of DAP at Rs 1,600.
Farmers had no knowledge about nano urea and nano DAP till NFPO introduced the liquid fertilisers to them. Farmers under the guidance of FPOs used 150 kilograms of urea per acre and 50 kilograms of DAP. On the other hand, they use 500 ml each of nano urea and nano DAP per acre. They keep a distance of about nine centimetres between two saplings and a distance of nearly eight feet between their two lines.
They also use fungicides, herbicides and pesticides/insecticides to protect plants from damage. For example, they use a certain quantity of insecticide like ‘Dabang’ to deal with harmful ‘Stem Borer’ and ‘Leaf Folder’, while ‘Blast’ is used to nullify the spread of fungus and grass is weeded out with herbicide ‘Amidol’, as per the instructions of FPOs.
Besides, farmers have set up drip irrigation systems and borewells. They have to cough up Rs 35,000 to Rs 40,000 per acre on drip irrigation setups after availing themselves of a 70 per cent government subsidy.
The cereal crops planted during Rabi are harvested in November. Those planted during Kharif are harvested in April. Maize grown during Kharif roughly fetches a profit of up to Rs 40,000 per acre, while crops grown during Rabi roughly earn a profit of up to Rs 50,000 per acre. Farmers usually save from their earnings to re-invest during the next Rabi and Kharif seasons. They invest up to about Rs 25,000 per acre to grow maize during Rabi and up to around Rs 20,000 during Kharif.
Those who exhaust their income usually take loans from local ‘mahajans’ (moneylenders) at an interest rate of around five per cent.
“I grow maize of ADV759 and CP509 on seven acres that yield nearly 350 quintals annually. I sell it at Rs 1,900 to Rs 1,920 per quintal. However, the price fluctuates in proportion to maize yield and market demand,” said female farmer Laxmi Saunta, who belongs to Kopena village under Umerkote block.
The minimum support price (MSP) of maize fixed by the Union Government for 2025-26 was Rs 2,400, which increased to Rs 2,410 for 2026-27. However, farmers usually sell it for a maximum of up to Rs 2,200. One of the reasons for the ‘low’ selling price is attributed to farmers’ ignorance about the MSP. Besides, the quality and ‘size’ of the seeds determine their selling price. A seed ought to measure 9 to 12 mm in length, 3 to 4.5 mm in thickness and 6 to 9 mm in width to fetch the market price.
“I have sold my seeds at Rs 1,900 per quintal this year, while it was sold at Rs 2,200 last year. The price slumped because the size of my seeds was less than the recommended one,” said female farmer Suati Bhatra of Semla village under Umerkote block. She grows DKC9126 on three acres that yield around 150 quintals annually.
The shareholders of FPOs also sell flour and ladoos made out of maize seeds in packets under the brand name ‘Indravati’. A packet of 500 grams of flour sells for Rs 60, while a packet of four ladoos sells for Rs 40.
“We also sell seeds to the companies that make cattle and chicken feed by using them as a major ingredient,” said Dhanurjaya Naidu of the MDFPO in Dongoriguda village under Bikrampur gram panchayat. “Constituted in 2024, our FPO, which clocks an annual turnover of about Rs 1.8 lakh, has 842 farmers as our shareholders. They all grow maize along with other crops,” he added.
“We have another major outlet, ‘Nabarangi Bazar’, at Nabarangpur district headquarters, where we sell maize flour and ladoos along with handicrafts, handloom and other products made in Nabarangpur and other districts. On the other hand, our agri mall deals in seeds, fertilisers, pesticides/insecticides and other necessities used in farming,” said Dipankar.
“We also prepared cornflakes in 2023-24. Each packet of 250 grams of cornflakes is sold for Rs 80. But preparation of this product had to be wound up because it did not have the requisite quality. However, we are planning to revive its production, maintaining all quality standards,” he added.
