All-time record maize production likely in Rangpur region

Officials and farmers are expecting an all-time record production of maize in Rangpur agricultural region after exceeding its fixed farming target by 7.88% by last week during this Rabi season.

Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said farmers are showing huge interest in intensifying maize farming after getting repeated profuse production with excellent prices in recent years.

"Increasing maize farming is cutting poverty and improving livelihoods of the poor and also making them self-reliant," Additional Director of the DAE's Rangpur region Md Obaidur Rahman Mondol said on Thursday.

The DAE has fixed 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 districts in the region this season.

"However, farmers have already brought 1,26,266 hectares of land under its cultivation exceeding the fixed farming target by 7.88% by last week as the process of sowing of its seeds still continues in the region," he said.

Like farmers in the mainland, char people are also expanding maize farming in the sandy char lands on the Teesta, Brahmaputra, Dharla, Jamuna, Dudhkumar, Kartoa, Ghaghot, Atrai and other riverine areas after getting repeated bumper output in the recent years.

"Landless char people and riverside small and marginal farmers have cultivated maize in vast tracts of char land in the region where its tender 
plants are growing fabulously amid favourable climatic conditions predicting its bumper production," Mondol added.

Deputy Director at Burirhat Horticulture Centre of the DAE in Rangpur Dr Md Abu Sayem said the government has put huge importance on expanding cultivation of the less irrigation water consuming crop of maize that helps the poor to cut poverty.

"The expanding maize cultivation is largely contributing to cut poverty and help small and marginal farmers, landless char and riverside people in improving their livelihoods braving the adverse impacts of climate change," he said. 

Agriculturist Dr Md Abdul Mazid, who got the Independence Medal 2018 (food security), predicted brighter prospects of maize farming in the northwestern region of Bangladesh to meet growing demand of the cereal crop.

He suggested farmers adopt conservation agriculture-based technologies in expanding cultivation of high-yielding varieties of maize to lessen the farming time and get maximum output by reducing farming cost and earning more profits. 

"Maize contains huge Vitamin-A that meets nutrition and its multi-dimensional use, including production and consumption of corn oil with no 
cholesterol from maize, can help heart patients in many ways," Dr Mazid said.

Citing recognised international scientific research findings and analyses, he said maize is highly beneficial to human health if consumed the flour prepared through crushing 70% wheat and 30 percent maize together.

"Proper and diversified use of potato with maize and some other crops can help reduce high pressure on rice side by side with ensuring nutritional demand and sustainable food security," he added.

Local farmers Abdul Hamid, Hasibur Rahman, Morshedul Haque and Mohammad Abu Bakar of different villages in Rangpur said tender plants of the cultivated maize crop are growing superbly, predicting a bumper production this season.