The Hindu Business Line : NECC to press for ban on maize exports

Coimbatore, Jan.19 The National Egg Co-ordination Committee (NECC) will pressure the Centre to ban maize exports due to rise in domestic maize prices.

Despite the country recording a higher maize production this year, the price has risen due to export and speculative trading by private traders, the NECC has charged.

According to the committee, the domestic maize production in 2007-08 is estimated at over 13 million tonne, a rise of 14 per cent over the previous year’s production. In the case of soyabean, another key poultry feed ingredient, its production is also up this year by 7 per cent at 8.86 million tonne.

The export of maize so far this year is estimated at around 2 lakh tonne. Compared to the production, this export volume is regarded moderate and could not be justified to have caused the 100 per cent increase in the maize price as seen now in the domestic market. The price from an average of Rs 500-Rs 550 per quintal in 2005-06 has spurted to Rs 800-Rs 900 per quintal with some centres in North India recording as high as Rs 1,000 a quintal.

In the case of soya, the export of soya-meal recorded between April and December 2007 was actually lower at 1.98 million tonne against 2.15 million tonne exported for the same period in the previous year.

Still one had no clue why its price should spurt to Rs 18,000 per tonne this January from Rs 8,500 as it prevailed in 2006-07. This trend, according to the NECC, gives the impression that nothing other than speculation can be the reason for the 100 per cent increase in the price.

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