BSS, Rangpur :
The government has fixed an all-time record target of producing 21.73 lakh tonnes maize from 3.06 lakh hectares of land during the current 2014-2015 Rabi season in the country, official sources said.
The fixed target for this season is higher by 1.80 lakh tonnes than the fixed target of producing 19.93 lakh tonnes maize from 2.75 lakh hectares land during the last season in the country.
Horticulture Specialist of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam said maize cultivation has already become popular contributing to poverty reduction and achieving self-reliance by the poor in the northern region.
According to the DAE sources, maize farming has changed the fate of hundreds of the poor people, small and marginal framers living both in the mainland and char areas encouraging them to cultivate the cash crop in more land every year.
Meanwhile, the farmers have been preparing for sowing quality maize seed in their lands with huge enthusiasm after getting bumper yield of the cash crop with lucrative price between Taka 800 and 900 per maund (every 40-kg) last year.
Under the programme, 13.49 lakh tonnes of maize will be produced from over 1.90 lakh hectares of land in the northern region alone, which is 62.09 percent of the fixed national production target of 21.73 lakh tonnes of the crop this season.
Like in the previous year, the farmers are expected to bring over 40,000 hectares of char lands in the Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dharla, Jamuna, Dudhkumar, Atrai, Kartoa, Ghaghot and other riverine areas under maize cultivation this season.
Deputy Director of DAE Zulfiquer Haider said maize farming has been increasing every year benefiting the farmers and its production would boost further if vast tracts of the abandoned char lands were brought under its cultivation.
Associate Director of Agriculture of BRAC International (South Asia and Africa) Dr M A Mazid appreciated the government initiatives for boosting maize production saying that there are brighter prospects for increasing output of the cereal crop.
He said maize contains huge Vitamin-A and its multi-dimensional use including production and consumption of corn oil with no cholesterol from maize could help the heart patients in many ways.
“Maize is highly beneficial to human health if consumed the flour prepared through crushing 70 percent wheat and 30 percent maize together”, he said citing various recognised international level scientific research findings and analyses.
Proper and diversified use of potato with maize and some other crops in a planned manner could also help reducing high pressure on rice side by side ensuring nutritional demand and food security amid adverse climate, Dr Mazid added.
The government has fixed an all-time record target of producing 21.73 lakh tonnes maize from 3.06 lakh hectares of land during the current 2014-2015 Rabi season in the country, official sources said.
The fixed target for this season is higher by 1.80 lakh tonnes than the fixed target of producing 19.93 lakh tonnes maize from 2.75 lakh hectares land during the last season in the country.
Horticulture Specialist of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam said maize cultivation has already become popular contributing to poverty reduction and achieving self-reliance by the poor in the northern region.
According to the DAE sources, maize farming has changed the fate of hundreds of the poor people, small and marginal framers living both in the mainland and char areas encouraging them to cultivate the cash crop in more land every year.
Meanwhile, the farmers have been preparing for sowing quality maize seed in their lands with huge enthusiasm after getting bumper yield of the cash crop with lucrative price between Taka 800 and 900 per maund (every 40-kg) last year.
Under the programme, 13.49 lakh tonnes of maize will be produced from over 1.90 lakh hectares of land in the northern region alone, which is 62.09 percent of the fixed national production target of 21.73 lakh tonnes of the crop this season.
Like in the previous year, the farmers are expected to bring over 40,000 hectares of char lands in the Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dharla, Jamuna, Dudhkumar, Atrai, Kartoa, Ghaghot and other riverine areas under maize cultivation this season.
Deputy Director of DAE Zulfiquer Haider said maize farming has been increasing every year benefiting the farmers and its production would boost further if vast tracts of the abandoned char lands were brought under its cultivation.
Associate Director of Agriculture of BRAC International (South Asia and Africa) Dr M A Mazid appreciated the government initiatives for boosting maize production saying that there are brighter prospects for increasing output of the cereal crop.
He said maize contains huge Vitamin-A and its multi-dimensional use including production and consumption of corn oil with no cholesterol from maize could help the heart patients in many ways.
“Maize is highly beneficial to human health if consumed the flour prepared through crushing 70 percent wheat and 30 percent maize together”, he said citing various recognised international level scientific research findings and analyses.
Proper and diversified use of potato with maize and some other crops in a planned manner could also help reducing high pressure on rice side by side ensuring nutritional demand and food security amid adverse climate, Dr Mazid added.
