RANGPUR, July 16, 2021 (BSS) - Farmers are expecting an excellent production of maize as its harvest is nearing completion with superb yield rate during the current Kharif-1 season in Rangpur agriculture region.
 
  Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and market sources said farmers are happy getting excellent prices between Taka 800 and Taka 900 per mound (every 40 kgs) of their newly harvested maize.   
 
  Earlier, the DAE had fixed a target of producing 2.27 lakh tonnes of maize from 26,680 hectares of land for Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat districts in the region during this Kharif-1 season.  
 
  "However, farmers finally cultivated maize on 23,297 hectares of land, less by 3,383 hectares of land or 12.68 percent against the fixed farming target," said Agriculturist Bidhu Bhusan Ray, Additional Director of the DAE, Rangpur region.   
 
  During the just ended 2020-2021 Rabi season, farmers produced a record 10.92 lakh tonnes of maize by cultivating the crop on 1.01 lakh hectares of land in the region.    
  Tender maize plants grew fabulously amid favourable climatic conditions predicting a better production of the less irrigation water consuming cereal crop during this Kharif-1 season in the region.   
 
  Till Thursday, farmers have harvested maize on 20,660 hectares of land, 88.68 percent against the cultivated land area, and produced 1.89 lakh tonnes of the crop at an average yield rate of 9.16 tonnes per hectare of land.   
 
  The government provided special incentives, high yielding varieties of maize seeds and fertilisers to landless, small, marginal and flood-hit farmers to further enhance maize cultivation this time.   
 
  "We are expecting an excellent production of maize despite a little shortfall in achieving the farming target following crop diversification this season across the region," Ray said.   
 
  Talking to BSS, Senior Coordinator (Agriculture and Environment) of RDRS Bangladesh Agriculturist Mamunur Rashid said maize cultivation has already become popular among farmers of the mainland and char areas during the last 12 years in the region.   
 
  Maize farming both on the mainland and char areas has become more profitable than many other crops helping farmers, small and marginal farmers, landless char and riverside people in improving their livelihoods and living standard.   
 
  Braving the coronavirus pandemic, many char and riverside people have cultivated maize on vast tracts of char lands in the Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dharla, Jamuna, Kartoa, Ghaghot and other riverine areas in the region.   
 
  "After getting special incentives, assistance and latest technologies from the DAE and different NGOs, farmers have expanded maize cultivation using the latest agricultural technologies to get better output and lucrative market prices," Rashid added.  
 
  Talking to BSS, farmers Afzal Hossain, Aminur Rahman, Farhan Ali, Nurul Islam and Aiyub Ali of different villages in Rangpur said they are expecting a bumper maize output as harvest of the crop is nearing completion with excellent yield rate.
 
  They also expressed satisfaction over the present market price of maize that has huge demand in the animal husbandry, poultry and pisciculture and food industries sectors across the country.