The farmers of Rangpur division are expecting a bumper yield of maize during the current season due to conducive climatic condition and timely supply of necessary agri-inputs. Disappointed over the repeated price fall of paddy during last few years many farmers of the region have turned to maize cultivation this season instead of Boro cultivation, sources said. Satisfactory price and huge demand for maize in the country as well as abroad are also encouraging the farmers of the region to grow it on a large scale in their fields.
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Rangpur sources, maize has been cultivated on about 1,69,300 hectares of land in 8 districts under Rangpur division this year and the farmers are optimistic of achieving a bumper production of the crop. According to DAE sources, the farmers of the region have cultivated NK-40, PACIFIC-984, BRAC-60, BRAC-984, POLLEN etc varieties abundantly.
DAE sources said like in the mainland, the landless and river eroded char people have also brought more char lands under maize farming this year. It is learnt that maize corn is mainly used for poultry, fish and cattle feed. Therefore, its demand is rising gradually.Nazrul Miah (52), a farmer of Char Nazirdaho village under Kawnia upazila in Rangpur district told The Financial Express, “This year I have cultivated the crop on two bighas of land spending Tk 10,000 and am hopeful of earning at least Tk 60,000 to Tk 650,000 as profit from the produce”, he also said. Shahin (43), a maize grower of Balua Mashimpur area under Mithapukur upazila in Rangpur said that he cultivated maize on 3 bighas of land this year and he is expecting a bumper yield of the crop.
Deputy Director of DAE Rangpur,said adequate water supply, agri-inputs and congenial weather condition enhanced maize cultivation in the region this year which made the farmers hopeful of attaining a bumper output of the crop during the current season. Encouraged by good profit farmers of the region are getting more interested in maize cultivation than the cultivation of the paddy in recent years, he added.
Less water consuming Aus rice cultivation stressed
Experts at a regional workshop have stressed on enchaining farming of less irrigation water consuming Aus, drought- and other stress tolerant rice to gradually reduce Boro cultivation and lessen pressure on underground water.
They also put emphasis on innovation of time-befitting scientific technologies, skills and stress-tolerant rice varieties along with farmers’ endevours to increase rice production for ensuring sustainable national food security despite climate change impacts.
Regional Station of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) organised the workshop with the Integrated Agriculture Productivity Project (IAPP) funding on IAPP activities at conference room of the Department of Agricultural Marketing here on Monday.
Director General of BRRI Dr Jiban Krishna Biswas attended the regional workshop as the chief guest with Principal Scientific Officer of BRRI and Head of its Rangpur Regional Station Dr Shahidul Islam in the chair.
Director (Research) of BRRI Dr Ansar Ali, Acting Rangpur Regional Additional Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) SM Ashraf Ali and Project Manager (North Part) of the IAPP Mohammad Ali attended as the special guests.
Officials, experts, scientists and researchers of BRRI, DAE, Bangladesh Betar, Department of Agricultural Marketing, Agriculture Information Service, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) and farmers’ representatives participated.
The experts, scientist and researchers related with the IAPP project presented 13 keynote papers citing results of their research activities on managements of cold, drought, pests’ attacks and soil managements during crop cultivation.
They elaborately discussed the project activities being conducted at Rangpur BRRI Regional Station and success achieved in innovating cold-, drought-, submergence- and other stress tolerant rice varieties, disseminating innovated technologies and cropping patterns among farmers.
The experts said the IAPP activities are being conducted in Rangpur region since 2012 with financial assistance of the ‘Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme’ and under supervision of World Bank to improve livelihoods and enhance food output.
The main objective of IAPP is to increase rice production through enhancing cultivation of stress- tolerant rice adopting latest scientific technologies, crop management methods evolved by BRRI in the flood-, drought- and cold-prone areas of Rangpur region.
The chief guest asked the scientists and researchers for innovating newer stress- and disease- tolerant rice varieties and technologies to keep rice production increasing for ensuring food security despite climate change impacts due to global warming.
He called for reducing cultivation of the maximum irrigation water consuming Boro rice and enchaining farming of less irrigation water consuming Aus rice varieties evolved by BRRI to boost rice output for meeting food demand of the growing population.
