Chief Minister instructed Markfed to purchase maize at minimum support prices and simultaneously issued instructions to the Finance Department to provide the necessary financial guarantees to Markfed. Chief Minister said not a single maize farmer should have to sell his produce at less than the minimum support price. He asked Marketing Minister T Harish Rao to ensure that an adequate number of purchase centres is opened in the State to meet the demand from farmers seeking to sell their produce. The government will, through Markfed, purchase maize at the MSP of Rs 1,425. He also called on farmers not to get carried away by fears and sell their produce cheaply to middlemen and assured them that the government would stand by farmers.