RANGPUR: The enthusiastic farmers are expecting an all-time record production of maize after exceeding its fixed farming target in Rangpur agriculture region during the current Rabi season.
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said tender maize plants are growing fabulously predicting bumper production of the less irrigation water consuming crop having huge demand in local markets, reports BSS.
Talking to the agency, Deputy Director of DAE at its regional office Agriculturist Md. Moniruzzaman said farmers have brought 99,725 hectares of land under maize cultivation exceeding the fixed farming target by 0.09 percent in the region.
“The DAE has fixed a target of producing 10.12-lakh tonnes of maize from 99,636 hectares of land for all five districts of Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat in the region this season,” he said.
During the last season, farmers achieved a record production of 9.23-lakh tonnes of maize by cultivating the crop on 92,445 hectares exceeding the fixed farming target by 9,253 hectares of land in the region.
“The overall maize output may exceed last year’s production as farmers have cultivated the crop on 99,725 hectares of land this time, higher by 7,280 hectares than the cultivated land area of 92,445 hectares of land last season,” he said.
The expanding maize cultivation on both mainland and vast tracts of the sandy char areas is also contributing to cutting poverty helping small and marginal farmers, landless char and riverside people in improving livelihoods.
“The government provided incentives, high yielding varieties of maize seeds and inputs to landless, small and marginal farmers, especially in char areas, to further enhance maize cultivation this season in the region,” Moniruzzaman added.
Deputy Director of DAE for Rangpur Dr. Md. Sarwarul Haque maize farming continues expanding on the mainland and vast tracts of abandoned and barren char lands in recent times.“The char and riverside people have cultivated maize on vast tracts of char lands in the Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dharla, Jamuna, Dudhkumar, Atrai, Kartoa, Ghaghot and other riverine this season like in the previous years,” he added.
Talking to the agency, Senior Coordinator (Agriculture and Environment) of RDRS Bangladesh Agriculturist Mamunur Rashid said maize farming on the mainland and char areas has been proved to be more profitable than cultivation of many other crops.
“Getting necessary assistance and latest technologies from the DAE and different NGOs, farmers are cultivating maize using latest agricultural technologies at reduced costs to better output and lucrative market price,” he added.
Farmers Abdul Hakim, Nurul Alam and Mohir Uddin of different villages in Rangpur said they are expecting a bumper maize production as tender plants are growing excellent on their crop lands.
Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Agriculturist Muhammad Ali predicted a bumper maize production as farmers have exceeded its fixed cultivation target and tender plants are growling superbly amid favourable climatic conditions.