Low maize quality triggers drastic drop in sales

Darussalam: Every monsoon tonnes of maize from different districts of Telangana and neighbouring states Karnataka and Maharashtra arrive to Darussalam main road here, to be sold at throwaway prices. However, unlike every year, the quality of maize has dropped and so is the price. It is being sold between Rs 30 and Rs 40 per dozen. “The stock is not good this year and the customers think that we are conning them by selling bad produce,” said Syed Mohammed, a vendor while peeling the dull yellow husk of a corn.

Last year, the corn was sold between Rs 40 and 60 per dozen. Many customers buy a dozen of maize, but they usually walk back complaining about the quality. There is a buzz in the market to buy maize in bulk among the peddlers, hawkers and small-scale factory workers. This year mounds of partially rotting maize laid on the road of Darussalam is ignored by customers. “We have a good business almost every year but this year we have received inferior stock,” said another maize vendor. Also, the market lies parallel to the road filled with filth and rubbish. Hameed Ahmed, a customer said, “I stopped to buy maize after learning about the low prices, but after looking at the filth around I changed my mind,”