Govt fixes record 2.17m tonnes maize production target

RANGPUR, Nov 15 (BSS): The government has fixed an all-time record target of producing 2.17 million tonnes maize from 0.30 million 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 0.18 million tonnes than the fixed target of producing 1.99 million tonnes maize from 0.27 million hectares land during the last season in the country.

Horticulture Specialist of the Department of Agricultural 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, 1.34 million tonnes of maize will be produced from over 0.19 million hectares of land in the northern region alone, which is 62.09 percent of the fixed national production target of 2.17 million tonnes of the crop 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.