Photo: BSS

By Md Mamun Islam
 
RANGPUR, Feb 24, 2026 (BSS) – After exceeding the fixed farming target by 9.95 percent during the current Rabi season, enthusiastic farmers are awaiting a bumper maize harvest in Rangpur agriculture region.
 
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said maize plants are growing fabulously both in the mainland and char areas, predicting a bumper yield of the less irrigation water consuming cereal crop having huge demand in local markets.
 
The DAE has set a target of producing 13,28,993 tonnes of maize from 1,17,043 hectares of land for all five districts of Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat in the region this season.
  
Meanwhile, farmers have brought 1,26,925 hectares of land under maize cultivation, exceeding the fixed farming target by 9,882 hectares or 9.95 percent in the region.
 
“Maize cultivation is expanding every year, which is improving the living standards and livelihoods of farmers, char residents and riverside people and helping them achieve self-reliance,” Additional Director of DAE for Rangpur region Md Sirajul Islam told BSS.
 
The growing demand of maize in the country’s flourishing poultry, dairy and animal husbandry sectors and food industries is inspiring small and marginal farmers, char and riverine people to further expand its cultivation as a cash crop to reap more profits.
  
“As a result, farmers are showing their keen interests in expanding cultivation of the less irrigation water consuming and highly money-spinning cash crop after getting repeated bumper production with rewarding prices every year.” he said.

Deputy Director of the Burirhat Horticulture Centre of the DAE in Rangpur Dr Md Abu Sayem said there are more potentialities to further increase maize yield by bringing vast tracts of char lands in the riverine areas.

Cultivation of maize is expanding fast both on the main land and riverine char areas improving the livelihoods and living standard of small and marginal farmers, landless char and riverside people during the last two decades in the region.
 
Alongside the government’s incentives, many NGOs distributed high yielding varieties of maize seeds and inputs among landless, small and marginal farmers, especially in char areas, for further enhancing maize cultivation this season.
 
People living in char and riverside areas are bringing more lands under maize farming on char lands on the Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dharla, Jamuna, Dudhkumar, Kartoa, Ghaghot, Atrai and other riverine areas in Rangpur region this season. 
    
The expansion of conservation agriculture-based technologies in maize cultivation can reduce irrigation frequency, cultivation time, and cultivation costs, thereby maximizing production and further increasing farmers' profits.
 
“The expanding maize cultivation is largely helping small and marginal farmers, landless char and riverside people in cutting poverty and improving their livelihoods braving the adverse impacts of climate change,” Sayem said. 
   
Agriculturalist Dr Md Abdul Mazid, who got the Independence Medal-2018 (food security), stressed on expanding cultivation of the low-irrigation water consuming maize crop also to save huge underground water amid changing climate. 
            
“Maize has a huge demand in local markets as it is being used as fodder of cattle-heads and poultry birds as well as in the animal husbandry, poultry and food industries sectors bringing lucrative prices and benefits to farmers,” he added.
                         
Talking to BSS, farmers Abdul Awal, Moynul Haque, Kamrul Islam, Amin Uddin and Mokhlesur Rahman of different villages in Rangpur said they are taking care of the growing maize plants and hoping to get a super bumper yield of the crop.