RANGPUR, Nov 19, 2018 (BSS) – The Department of Agriculture Extension
(DAE) has fixed a production target of 17.17-lakh tonnes of maize from 1.88-
lakh hectares of land during this Rabi season in Rangpur division.
Horticulture Specialist of the DAE at its regional office here Khondker Md
Mesbahul Islam said the farmers are showing more interests in maize farming
this time after getting its repeated bumper productions with fair price in
recent years.
“The farmers have already brought 24,500 hectares of land under maize
cultivation till Sunday as sowing of its seed continues in full swing in
eight districts under two agriculture regions in the division,” Islam said.
Under the programme, 7.58-lakh tonnes of maize will be produced from
83,192 hectares of land in five districts of Rangpur agriculture region and
9.59-lakh tonnes of maize from 1.05-lakh hectares of land in three districts
of Dinajpur agriculture region this season.
Deputy Director of the DAE at its Rangpur regional office Md Moniruzzaman
said cultivation of maize has become popular among the farmers both in the
main land and riverine char areas helping them to cut poverty and achieve
self-reliance.
“Like in the previous seasons, the char people are cultivating maize on
the char lands on the Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dharla, Jamuna, Dudhkumar, Kartoa,
Ghaghot, Atrai and other river basins in Rangpur division this season,”
Moniruzzaman added.
Rangpur Regional Additional Director of the DAE Md Shah Alam said the
farmers are expanding maize cultivation every year after getting huge
benefits and becoming self-reliant side by side with ensuring food security
in recent years.
“The government is distributing special agriculture incentives among the
small and marginal farmers to increase maize production this season,” Alam
said predicting a bumper production of the major cereal crop.
Noted agriculture scientist Dr Md Abdul Mazid, who got the Independence
Medal (food security) this year, suggested for further expanding cultivation
of the low-irrigation water consuming maize crop to reduce Boro farming and
save huge underground water.
“The farmers can get maximum output of maize adopting conservation
agriculture technologies and using less farm-labourers and farming time to
reduce farming costs in the northern region,” Dr Mazid said.
He said maize is currently being used mainly as fodder of domestic animals
and poultry birds though different foodstuffs could be prepared with it and
consumed by changing food habit to meet nutritional demand of the population
reducing pressure on rice.
Maize contains adequate Vitamin-A and its multidimensional use, including
production of corn oil with no cholesterol, could help the heart patients in
many ways through consuming its oil.
“Maize is highly beneficial to human health if consumed its flour prepared
through crushing 70 percent wheat and 30 percent maize together,” he said
citing recognised international level scientific research findings and
analyses.