Dinajpur (South) Correspondent :
Maize farmers of Phulbari upazila of Dinajpur are dreaming of success by cultivating maize with little capital in the hope of making more profit in a short time. In the corn field, the flowers and corn cobs have started to come to the locks in the green leaves. Seeing this, a smile appeared on the face of the farmer.
Maize is nutritious for human beings as well as added to various foods including poultry and fish food, which has increased the demand. Maize cultivation has brought new momentum to the agricultural lands which are dependent only on paddy cultivation. Along with maize cultivation, farmers are also getting extra money for companion crop cultivation.
According to the Upazila Agriculture Department, due to favorable weather and interest in modern agricultural technology in maize cultivation, farmers have the potential to get bumper maize this time at low cost. Maize has been planted in 3,275 hectares of land this season.
It is known that the cost of cultivation, seeds, irrigation, fertilizers and pesticides and maintenance per bigha of land is 11 to 12 thousand rupees. The yield per bigha is 35 to 40 manas. The current market price per ounce is 600 to 700 rupees. It earns 20 to 23 thousand rupees per bigha with little capital.
Turning to the ground, it can be seen that the vast crop fields of the farmers in almost all the seven unions including the municipal area of the upazila are now filled with green fields of maize. In Rajarampur, Rangamati, Nurpur and Ghatpara villages the trees have become quite large.
Now the farmers are busy in various activities including tending and weeding of maize fields and irrigation work. The trees are knee-deep and in some areas early planting of maize has caused the trees to exceed the height of the people and in some places moss has appeared on the trees. These crops can be harvested in advance.
Subash Chandra Roy of Gopalpur village in the upazila said that the production cost of boro cultivation is very high but when the threshing of paddy starts, the paddy market collapses. As a result, production costs do not rise in many cases. But as the production cost of maize is low, the price is also high, so he tends to cultivate maize.
