BSS, Rangpur
A record quantity of over 13.02 lakh tonnes of maize was produced during the Rabi and just-ended Kharif-1 seasons this year in Rangpur agriculture region, reports BSS.
According to market sources, farmers are happy and successfully tackling the Covid-19 pandemic situation, getting excellent prices between Taka 850 and Taka 950 per mound (every 40 kgs) of maize throughout the year.
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) officials said farmers produced over 10.92 lakh tonnes of maize during the Rabi season and more than 2.10 tonnes of the crop during this Kharif-1 season this year in the region.
Earlier, the DAE had fixed a target of producing over 10.51 tonnes of maize from 1,01,845 hectares of land for all five districts of Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat in the region during the last Rabi season.
"However, farmers finally cultivated maize on 1,01,335 hectares of land and produced 10.92 lakh tonnes of the crop against the fixed production target of 10.51 lakh tonnes," said Agriculturist Bidhu Bhusan Ray, Additional Director of the DAE, Rangpur region.
On the other hand, the DAE had fixed a target of producing 2.27 lakh tonnes of maize from 26,680 hectares of land for all five districts of the region during the Kharif-1 season.
"Farmers finally cultivated maize on 23,297 hectares of land and produced over 2.10 lakh tonnes of the cereal crop during the Kharif-1 season this year in the region," Ray said.
The government provided special incentives, high yielding varieties of maize seeds and fertilisers to landless, small, marginal and flood-hit farmers to enhance maize cultivation during both the seasons in the region.
Maize cultivation has been increasing every year on the mainland as well as char areas following huge demand, repeated bumper output and lucrative market price of the crop.
"Many farmers and char families have attained self-reliance by cutting poverty through maize cultivation in Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat districts of the region in the last 12 years," Ray added.
Senior Coordinator (Agriculture and Environment) of RDRS Bangladesh Agriculturist Mamunur Rashid said maize cultivation has become popular among farmers.
"Cultivation of maize on the mainland and char areas is more profitable than many other crops helping farmers in cutting poverty and improving their livelihoods and living standard," he said.
Getting special incentives, assistance and latest technologies from the DAE and different NGOs, farmers are expanding maize cultivation using the latest agricultural technologies to get better output and lucrative market price every year.
"Farmers are reaping better profits following huge demand for maize in the poultry feed and animal feed industries as the poultry, animal husbandry and dairy sectors are booming across the country," Rashid added.
Talking to BSS, farmers Farhad Hossain, Aminul Islam and Babul Hossain of Rangpur expressed happiness over market price of maize round the year.
