BSS, Naogaon :
The farmers have been showing keen interest in maize cultivation this season in the district encouraged by the excellent economic return from cultivating the crop in recent years.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) office sources said a total of 6,200 hectares of land have been brought under the cultivation in 11 upazila of the district with a production target of 25,000 tonnes of maize.
Of the total, 100 hectares of land have been brought under the cultivation in Sadar upazila, 430 hectares in Raninagar upazila, 4,440 hectares in Atrai upazila, 155 hectares in Badalgachhi upazila, 184 hectares in Mohadevpur upazila, 35 hectares in Patnitala upazila, 350 hectares in Dhamoirhat upazila, 5 hectares in Sapahar upazila, 6 hectares in Porsha upazila, 500 hectares in Manda upazila and 35 hectares in Niamatpur upazila, the DAE office source said.
Most of the maize would be produced in Atrai and Manda upazilas of the district, the sources added.
Deputy Director of DAE Sottabrato Shaha said maize is being used in preparation of various nutritional foods like corn-well, corn-flex, poultry and animal feed and fodder and in several industrial products as well.
The demand for the crop is on the rise with the increase of the poultry and dairy farms, he added.
“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 recognized international level scientific research findings and analyses.
The DD said farmers put emphasis on enhancing cultivation of low-irrigation water consuming cereal crops like maize and wheat to reduce Boro farming in the district and farming of maize has been increasing every year benefiting the farmers as well as poorer section people and bringing economic self-reliance to them through cutting poverty.
Abdus Salam, a farmer of Baula village under Atrai upazila, said “we produced 200-250 maunds of maize from per bigha of land and present market price of the crop is Taka 600-630 per maund”. A farmer can earn Taka about one lakh from per hectare of land, he said.
The farmers have been showing keen interest in maize cultivation this season in the district encouraged by the excellent economic return from cultivating the crop in recent years.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) office sources said a total of 6,200 hectares of land have been brought under the cultivation in 11 upazila of the district with a production target of 25,000 tonnes of maize.
Of the total, 100 hectares of land have been brought under the cultivation in Sadar upazila, 430 hectares in Raninagar upazila, 4,440 hectares in Atrai upazila, 155 hectares in Badalgachhi upazila, 184 hectares in Mohadevpur upazila, 35 hectares in Patnitala upazila, 350 hectares in Dhamoirhat upazila, 5 hectares in Sapahar upazila, 6 hectares in Porsha upazila, 500 hectares in Manda upazila and 35 hectares in Niamatpur upazila, the DAE office source said.
Most of the maize would be produced in Atrai and Manda upazilas of the district, the sources added.
Deputy Director of DAE Sottabrato Shaha said maize is being used in preparation of various nutritional foods like corn-well, corn-flex, poultry and animal feed and fodder and in several industrial products as well.
The demand for the crop is on the rise with the increase of the poultry and dairy farms, he added.
“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 recognized international level scientific research findings and analyses.
The DD said farmers put emphasis on enhancing cultivation of low-irrigation water consuming cereal crops like maize and wheat to reduce Boro farming in the district and farming of maize has been increasing every year benefiting the farmers as well as poorer section people and bringing economic self-reliance to them through cutting poverty.
Abdus Salam, a farmer of Baula village under Atrai upazila, said “we produced 200-250 maunds of maize from per bigha of land and present market price of the crop is Taka 600-630 per maund”. A farmer can earn Taka about one lakh from per hectare of land, he said.
