Poultry Demand Drives Maize Prices Higher as Wheat Rates Remain Steady

Maize prices surged in Indore on Monday due to strong poultry demand and reduced arrivals, while wheat rates remained mostly steady across major centers. The price of maize jumped by ₹110 to ₹2,500 per 100 kg, recovering from last Friday's decline to ₹2,390. Despite intermittent corrections, the poultry sector has provided underlying support for maize prices.

Wheat prices in Indore were unchanged at ₹2,840 per 100 kg, with balanced demand and supply keeping prices stable. Buyers remained cautious due to uncertainty over the timing of government open-market sales. However, Kota bucked the trend with wheat rising by ₹50-₹100 to ₹2,600-₹2,650 per 100 kg as buying revived and arrivals remained at 5,000 bags of 50 kg each.

Basmati rice prices were mixed, but the 1509 variety advanced by ₹200 to ₹8,400-₹8,500 due to strong demand coinciding with depleted rabi stocks ahead of fresh kharif arrivals. Near-term grain prices are likely to be influenced by poultry buying, crop arrivals, and government wheat sales.