Photo : BSS

RANGPUR, July 19, 2026 (BSS) - Farmers in the Rangpur agricultural region have expressed satisfaction with the excellent yield and good prices of maize cultivated in the current Kharif-1 season, as harvesting is now in full swing.
 
Market and local sources said that farmers are currently happy getting excellent prices between Taka 950 and Taka 1,000 per mound (every 40 kgs) for the newly harvested maize.
 
Earlier, the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) had set a target of producing 2,12,771 tonnes of maize from 21,705 hectares of land for Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat districts in the region during the Kharif-1 season.
 
"However, farmers have finally cultivated maize on 20,815 hectares of land, 95.90 percent against the target for this season," Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Md Shirajul Islam told BSS today.
 
Maize plants have grown superbly due to favourable weather with adequate precipitation, raising expectations of bumper production of low-irrigation grain crops this season across the region.
 
Till Saturday, farmers had harvested maize on 17,721 hectares of land, 81.64 percent against the cultivated land area, and produced 1,68,373 tonnes of the crop at an excellent average yield rate of 9.50 tonnes per hectare of land.
 
Earlier, the government has provided special incentives, high-yielding varieties of seeds, and fertilizers to landless, small, marginal and flood-affected farmers to further increase maize cultivation and production this season in the region.
 
Both farmers and DAE officials are expecting a bumper production of maize this season despite a little shortfall in achieving the farming target due to crop diversification.
"During the just-ended Rabi season, farmers produced 14,17,133 tonnes of maize from 1,27,230 hectares of land in all five districts of the Rangpur agricultural region," Shirajul Islam added.

Talking to BSS, farmers Lokman Hossain, Abu Torab and Jahangir Alam of different villages in Rangpur said they have got excellent maize output with excellent price in the local markets during this Kharif-1 season.

Independence Award 2018 Medal (food security) winner Agriculturist Dr Md Abdul Mazid said maize cultivation has become popular among farmers of the mainland and riverine char areas in recent years.
 
Maize cultivation has become a profitable venture and helps alleviate poverty and improve the quality of life of farmers, small and marginal farmers, landless people in char areas, and other riverine communities.
 
Many char and riverside people have been cultivating maize in the vast char lands of the Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dharla, Yamuna, Kartoa, Bangalee and Dudhkumar, Ghaghot and Jamuneswari rivers and other riverine areas every year across the region.
 
"Farmers are showing more interest in maize cultivation using the latest conservation agriculture-based technologies to get better production and profitable market prices after receiving incentives and support from the government," Dr Mazid said.
 
Farmers are reaping high profits from maize farming following strong demand for the crop in the flourishing poultry feed, animal feed and food industries across the country.
 
He especially called on people from all walks of life to change their dietary habits and eat maize in different ways for a healthy lifestyle and reduce pressure on rice.