Jhalakati sees maize cultivation boost
Monday, 20 January 2014
Farmers in the Jhalakati district are cultivating maize in larger areas of land this season as they made satisfactory profit from the cereal item last year despite the onslaught of cyclonic storm ‘Mahasen’ during its harvest.
While visiting different areas of the district recently, a UNB correspondent found growers busy with maize cultivation in their fields.
They are now sowing seeds after tilling Aman fields immediately after the harvest of the paddy.
This year, they have begun farming of the crop earlier in order to avoid repetition of a ‘Mahasen’-like natural disaster.
The farmers said non-government organisation Brac, under its Food Safety Programmes, encouraged them to cultivate maize.
Under supervision of the leading NGO, Hybrid Variety of Pacific 984 maize is being cultivated on 213 acres of land (one acre=30 decimals) in Sadar and Rajapur upazilas.
Besides, being encouraged by the officials of local Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), farmers are growing the crop on further 385 acres of land in four upazilas, including Rajapur and Sadar, of the district.