Sylhet Bureau :
A bumper yield of maize has been achieved in the four districts of Sylhet region this season.
According to report prepared on the basis of district reports, maize was cultivated on 695 hectares of land in the division. It included 265 hectares in Sylhet, 55 hectares in Moulvibazar, 100 hectares in Habiganj and 275 hectares in Sunamganj district.
DAE has also set a good number of demonstration plots for wooing the common farmers in the high-yielding varieties of the crop.
Deputy Director of DAE, Sylhet divisional office, Mazumdar Md Ilias said commercial farming of maize is on the rise in the region for high production and profit.
However, in addition to the different ongoing projects of the DAE, the special project named ‘Raising crop intensity in Sylhet division’ has been contributing well in motivating and engaging farmers with modern methods of agriculture and high-value crops in the region, the official added.
Maize can be cultivated during both Rabi and Kharif seasons.
A good number of farmers said grassroots growers did not show interest in farming maize for poor marketing facilities. The scenario is changed now. A strong marketing chain has been established. Traders from Bhairab and other districts visit the region every maize harvest season to purchase the crop.
Construction of eight food depots yet to be completed
The authorities have failed to complete the construction of eight food depots in Sunamganj district.
Negligence of the contractors and lack of supervision by the authority concerned are the main reasons behind this, sources said wishing anonymity.
Although the construction firm has been given time extension until June this year, there is a possibility that they would not be able to complete the work by the deadline, sources informed.
With a target to raising the district’s food grain storage capacity, the Food Department started the project to construct the depots.
These include one each at Sachna Bazar of Jamalganj, Madhyanagar of Dharmapasha and Chhatak and Doarabazar upazila headquarters in addition to four others in Sunamganj Sadar.
The job was awarded to a construction firm of Dhaka at a cost of Tk 140 million. But they failed to even complete the works on any of the depots by the deadline which ended in December, 2018.
A number of locals including former union council chairman of Doarabazar Abdul Khaleque, also upazila Awami League joint secretary, said there is no possibility of completing the construction of the depot at Doarabazar since the job has long been remained suspended by the construction firm for reasons unknown.
Same is the situation at Madhyanagar, locals said.
An official at the Sunamganj district Food office said the present storage capacity is 19,900 tonnes for the district.
The new depots would have added 4000 tonnes of capacity. The contractor had been asked repeatedly for completing the job by the extended time ending June 30, the official said.
However, an official at the firm claimed that construction of four depots in Sunamganj Sadar is nearing completion while those at Sachnabazar and Chhatak would also be completed in a month.
But works on the depot at Madhyanagar would be delayed a little, he said, adding, the suspended work at Doarabazar would resume soon. He, however, could not assure about completing the construction works positively by the deadline..
A bumper yield of maize has been achieved in the four districts of Sylhet region this season.
According to report prepared on the basis of district reports, maize was cultivated on 695 hectares of land in the division. It included 265 hectares in Sylhet, 55 hectares in Moulvibazar, 100 hectares in Habiganj and 275 hectares in Sunamganj district.
DAE has also set a good number of demonstration plots for wooing the common farmers in the high-yielding varieties of the crop.
Deputy Director of DAE, Sylhet divisional office, Mazumdar Md Ilias said commercial farming of maize is on the rise in the region for high production and profit.
However, in addition to the different ongoing projects of the DAE, the special project named ‘Raising crop intensity in Sylhet division’ has been contributing well in motivating and engaging farmers with modern methods of agriculture and high-value crops in the region, the official added.
Maize can be cultivated during both Rabi and Kharif seasons.
A good number of farmers said grassroots growers did not show interest in farming maize for poor marketing facilities. The scenario is changed now. A strong marketing chain has been established. Traders from Bhairab and other districts visit the region every maize harvest season to purchase the crop.
Construction of eight food depots yet to be completed
The authorities have failed to complete the construction of eight food depots in Sunamganj district.
Negligence of the contractors and lack of supervision by the authority concerned are the main reasons behind this, sources said wishing anonymity.
Although the construction firm has been given time extension until June this year, there is a possibility that they would not be able to complete the work by the deadline, sources informed.
With a target to raising the district’s food grain storage capacity, the Food Department started the project to construct the depots.
These include one each at Sachna Bazar of Jamalganj, Madhyanagar of Dharmapasha and Chhatak and Doarabazar upazila headquarters in addition to four others in Sunamganj Sadar.
The job was awarded to a construction firm of Dhaka at a cost of Tk 140 million. But they failed to even complete the works on any of the depots by the deadline which ended in December, 2018.
A number of locals including former union council chairman of Doarabazar Abdul Khaleque, also upazila Awami League joint secretary, said there is no possibility of completing the construction of the depot at Doarabazar since the job has long been remained suspended by the construction firm for reasons unknown.
Same is the situation at Madhyanagar, locals said.
An official at the Sunamganj district Food office said the present storage capacity is 19,900 tonnes for the district.
The new depots would have added 4000 tonnes of capacity. The contractor had been asked repeatedly for completing the job by the extended time ending June 30, the official said.
However, an official at the firm claimed that construction of four depots in Sunamganj Sadar is nearing completion while those at Sachnabazar and Chhatak would also be completed in a month.
But works on the depot at Madhyanagar would be delayed a little, he said, adding, the suspended work at Doarabazar would resume soon. He, however, could not assure about completing the construction works positively by the deadline..
