Corn prices are falling, don't let farmers' hearts grow cold
Recently, the author learned through a rural survey in Neihuang County that the drop in corn prices was beyond people's expectations. Over the past five years, when new corn came onto the market, the price per jin was mostly between 1.1 yuan and 1.2 yuan. This year it has fallen to 0.9 yuan, and even at this price it is still hard to sell. Last year, Lan Maichen from the fourth villager group of Dacun in Dongzhuang Town, Neihuang County, had just harvested 2,639 jin of corn, which was quickly snapped up at 1.2 yuan per jin. Lan Xianzhong, who bought the corn, said: "Some were even selling for 1.3 yuan per jin." This year, the new corn of Lan Shutang from the first villager group is still hard to sell at 0.9 yuan per jin. He has been looking for a buyer for 12 days and still has not found one, and it has been stored at home ever since.
Corn-growing fields vary in quality, with differences between fertile and poor land. But this year, income per jin of corn has mostly fallen by about 0.3 yuan. Taking a plot with good, fertile soil as an example, the yield per mu is mostly around 1,200 jin, so one mu of corn sells for about 360 yuan less than last year.
Zhi Yinxi, a large-scale grain grower who farms transferred land in Longzhuang Village, Tianshi Town, counted on his fingers and did the math for us: the 450 mu of corn he planted reliably yields 540,000 jin. At 0.3 yuan less per jin, that means more than 162,000 yuan less in sales. It is still unknown whether the price will keep falling; if it does, the losses for corn growers will be even greater.
Faced with market conditions, farmers should take the initiative and curb the decline. What is encouraging is that some farmers are already finding ways to cope. For example, by processing corn into popcorn, one jin of corn made into popcorn can sell for around 2.5 yuan. Some others plan to raise chickens and pigs to transform corn into higher value, reduce risk and increase income.
Corn is not fruit or vegetables, where you can have a little more or a little less. It is an indispensable staple food in people's daily lives. The author hopes relevant departments will pay close attention and take effective measures to protect the interests of grain farmers and preserve their enthusiasm for growing grain.