MANIKGANJ: Farmers are expecting a bumper maize production as its harvest continues with excellent yield rate in the district during the current season, Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) office said.
Cultivators of the district are expecting a bumper production of maize as the favourable weather was prevailing during the current season, reports BSS.
The cultivation of maize exceeded the target this year also. The target of cultivation of maize was fixed on 16,000 hectares of land with a production target of 1,52,000 metric tons of maize in all seven upazilas of the district, the DAE sources said.
Finally farmers cultivated maize on 17,020 hectares of land exceeding the fixed target of 16,000 hectares in the district.
Department of Agriculture Extension sources said the maize cultivators have been achieving bumper production for several years in the district.
Maize cultivation is gaining popularity day by day in all seven upazilas of the district. The target of cultivation has been exceeding every year in the area. Specially, the lands of char areas are being cultivated maize in a large scale which was uncultivated previously.
Maize is now one of the highest cultivated cash crops in the district. The easy cultivation process, less irrigation and much demand in the markets is the main cause of popularity of maize cultivation, the sources added.
Mohammad Ali, one of the maize cultivators of Shridharnagar village under Ghior upazila, said he has cultivated maize on five bighas of land this year. After harvesting the first time cultivated maize he is willing to cultivate maize in the same land for the second time.
Most of the maize cultivators like Mohammad Ali cultivate maize twice in the same land.
The farmers are getting maximum production and reasonable market prices of their products. Now each mound of maize is being sold at Taka 1100 to 1200 in the market.
Deputy Director of DAE Abu Mohammad Enayet Ullah said the cultivation of maize gaining popularity in the district for its multipurpose uses and the demand of the crop round the year, reasonable prices of maize is also the main cause, he said adding that more than ninety percent of maize has already been harvested in the district.