Motia Chy emphasises maize farming

FE Report Agriculture Minister Begum Motia Chowdhury Wedensday emphasised maize farming as it is more profitable than wheat. She was speaking at a press conference held at the agriculture ministry to inaugurate the programme for distributing fertiliser and seed worth Tk 65 million free of cost to maize farmers. The minister said, "Maize is a profitable cereal which the farmers can produce in two seasons and needs less irrigation and care compared to that of wheat". "For the rapid expansion of the country's poultry sector, the demand of maize is increasing day by day as it is the main ingredient of poultry feed." The country has a target to produce 1.65 million tonnes of maize in 0.24 million hectares this year, she said. The minister said, "The country is now producing 1.55 million tonnes of maize and importing o.4 million tonnes. If the production increases, the country could be able to avoid import of maize". Ministry officials informed the reporters that under the programme the government would distribute fertiliser and seed to 50,000 small scale farmers in 62 upazilas under 11 districts. Every group, that would include two farmers, would get 50 kg DAP and 50 kg MOP fertiliser, and 6 kg hybrid maize seed, officials said.