The government’s rule requiring ethanol producers to use 40% rice, maize (corn) farmers and traders have suffered heavy financial losses. As a result, maize prices have been stuck in a continuous downward trend. In Bihar, maize sowing is expected to decline, which indicates that current price levels may not pose much downside risk going forward. Farmers had earlier been encouraged to steadily expand maize production by providing them with hybrid seeds and fertilizers. Because of this push, maize output, which stood at around 12.8–12.9 million metric tons two decades ago, has now risen significantly to approximately 33.8–34 million metric tons. To reduce dependence on diesel and petrol imports, the government launched biofuel and ethanol expansion plans. With maize production rising, numerous ethanol plants were established across the country, and several more are currently under construction. When these plants regularly purchased maize, farmers benefited from favorable prices. In Bihar, maize had earlier been selling at ₹2300–2400 per quintal, but during this summer prices fell sharply to ₹1800–1900 per quintal in markets such as Khagaria, Begusarai, Darbhanga, Gulabbagh, Purnia, Semapur, and Panipat line. Lower-grade maize even traded at ₹1750 per quintal. However, during the current week, prices have increased slightly by ₹100–150 per quintal. It is important to note that the maize crop arriving in July–August had also been sold at extremely low prices. In markets of Madhya Pradesh, including Chhindwara, Linga, Seoni, Betul, Ganj, and Multai, maize had been trading at ₹1700–1725 per quintal for the past two decades. This week, prices there improved marginally to ₹1750–1850 per quintal. The government has fixed the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of maize at ₹2400 per quintal. During the 2023–24 marketing year, maize was sold in mandis at ₹2500–2600 per quintal, providing farmers with reasonable profits. At present, however, prices are roughly ₹600 lower, which has caused significant hardship for both farmers and traders. When farmers calculate their production expenses—including fertilizers such as urea, potash, and DAP, irrigation, land preparation, weeding, labor, and harvesting—the cost of producing maize reaches around ₹2500 per quintal. Despite this, farmers are currently receiving only about ₹1600 per quintal in mandis. Under such conditions, the financial distress faced by farmers is evident, especially when the Honorable Prime Minister frequently speaks about the goal of doubling farmers’ income. The primary reason behind the present situation is the government’s requirement that ethanol companies must process 40% rice. Because of this rule, ethanol producers have reduced their purchase of maize. At present, rice is being supplied to ethanol plants at about ₹2320 per quintal, while maize costs around ₹2100–2150 per quintal delivered. Since companies are obligated to procure rice even at a higher price, they are compelled to use a more expensive raw material. Consequently, ethanol plants are forced to operate with costlier inputs, while maize produced by farmers is being sold at depressed prices in mandis. This situation is causing severe financial losses to farmers—the nation’s food providers—and is eroding their capital. Moreover, traders involved in the maize trade are also experiencing heavy losses because maize sales have slowed considerably. Another effect of the compulsory rice requirement is that rail rack loading of maize has declined sharply. In light of these circumstances, there is a strong appeal to the government to completely remove the mandatory 40% rice requirement for ethanol production.