MANIKGANJ, Jan 25, 2023 (BSS) - Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and farmers are expecting a bumper maize production as its harvest continues with excellent yield rate in the district this season.

Cultivators of the district are expecting a bumper production of maize as the favourable weather was prevailing during the current season. They also got seeds, fertilizers and other inputs timely for cultivation of maize.

Department of Agriculture Extension sources said the maize cultivators have been achieving bumper production for several years in the district.

The DAE sources said 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 remaining uncultivated previously.

Maize is now one of the highest cultivated cash crops in the district and it is being cultivated in all seven upazilas of the district. The easy cultivation, less irrigation and much demand in the markets is the main cause of popularity of maize cultivation, the sources added.

The multipurpose use of maize is also one of the reasons behind the maize cultivation. The maize is sold in the market round the year. The green leaves of maize are used as cattle fodder. The sticks of maize are also used as fire wood in the rural areas. The immature maize plants are used as cattle fodder.

Ahmad Ali, one of the maize cultivators of Char Bailjuri village under Ghior upazila, said he has cultivated maize on five bighas of land this year. After harvesting the first time cultivated maize he will cultivate maize in the same land for the second time.

Most of the maize cultivators like Ahmad Ali cultivate maize twice in the same land.

The farmers are getting maximum production and reasonable market prices of their products. Now per mound of maize is being sold at Taka 1500 to 1600 in the market.

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 1,47,200 metric tons of maize in all seven upazilas of the district, the DAE sources said.

Farmers cultivated maize on 17,020 hectares of land exceeding the fixed target.

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.