Rajshahi farmers achieve bumper maize production

RAJSHAHI, July 09: The maize farmers of different upazilas here have achieved a bumper production in this season. They have become very happy having bumper maize production with fair market price. Now, they are passing very busy time in cutting maize form the field from morning to afternoon.
The farmers are showing more interest in maize cultivation having fair prices during the last couple of years. There are brighter prospects for the increasing maize production, and the government has put due emphasis on the issue.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) office in Rajshahi, nowadays farmers are cultivating maize in two seasons - Rabi and Kharip of a year. This year, the farmers of Durgapur and Paba upazila have produced more maize than the famers of other upazilas.
This year the farmers of nine upazilas brought about 15,615 hectares of land under maize cultivation in rabi and kharip season. Among them, farmers brought 5,975 hectares of land under rabi maize cultivation and 9,640 hectors under kharip maize cultivation.  It can play a vital role in transforming traditional agriculture into a commercial one because of its multiple usage and economic benefit, they added.
Talking to The Daily Observer, Nurul Amin, a maize farmer of Mathura village under Paba upazila said that he has got more maize production than his expectation in this season. Now, he is passing very busy time in drying of maize under sunshine on his home yard. He is very happy having bumper production with fair market price. Now, per maund of maize is being sold within Tk 600-800 in variety of quality, he added.  
Mamud Hossain, a farmer of Kashini village in Durgapur upazila, said, "A farmer has to spend Tk 5,000-6,000 for cultivating maize in per bigha of land and gets 20 maunds of the crop from the same land. In this way, a farmer can earn Tk 12,000 -14,000 in per bigha."

Paba upazila Agriculture Officer AKM Monzure Maola said that maize cultivation has proved risk-free.  For this reason, farmers are showing more interest in maize cultivation as they are making much profit from its cultivation due to repeated bumper production for the last several years.
This year, farmers have achieved a bumper maize production with fair price in different upazilas of the district. A farmer achieved over one maund of maize from one per cent of land.
The availability of hybrid variety seeds, huge demand of the crop, and maximum profit from the cultivation have encouraged the farmers towards large scale maize farming, the officer added.