Over 0.73m-tonne maize yield expected in Rajshahi division

FE Team | Published: January 13, 2024 21:40:46

RAJSHAHI, Jan 13 (BSS): Over 0.73 million (7.31 lakh) tonnes of maize yield are expected to be produced on 62,225 hectares of land in all eight districts under Rajshahi division during the current Rabi season.
In the previous year, around 0.55 million (5.58 lakh) tonnes of maize yield was produced from 52,209 hectares of land in the division.
At present, the grassroots farmers are now at the final stage of nursing the growing plants amid the suitable climate conditions everywhere in the region.
Most of the farming fields now wear eye-catching looks with huge fruit-bearing plants.
Maize farming has been gaining popularity here as many people are seen humming towards the cash crop farming while it has been giving them better yield and lucrative market price in the region including its vast Barind tract for the last couple of years.
Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has set the target of producing around 0.37 million (3.79 lakh) tonnes of maize from 32,240 hectares of land in four districts of Rajshahi Agricultural Zone, while 0.35 million (3.52 lakh) tonnes from 29,985 hectares of land in four other districts of Bogura Agricultural Zone.
Shamsul Wadud, Additional Director of DAE, here said diversified steps including distribution of incentives among farmers with providing need-based training were taken to attain the production target.
He said most of the small and marginal farmers were given seeds and fertilisers free of cost for the maize farming under the government's agricultural incentive programme.
Shahadat Hossain, a farmer of Chowbaria village under Godagari upazila, said he has brought two and half bighas of land under the maize farming during the current season.
Hossain said wheat cultivation on per bigha of land needs at least Taka 8,000, and the yield is 14 to 16 maunds. On the contrary, maize farming on one bigha of land needs Taka 6,500, and the yield is at least 20 to 25 maunds. So, he cultivated maize on 15 bighas of land this season.
Golam Faruque, another farmer of Nandigram village under Durgapur Upazila, has cultivated maize on five bigha of land and some of his cultivated land has started getting a greenish look with growing plants.