Maize cultivation gains popularity in Gaibandha

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GAIBANDHA, Mar 13 (BSS): Maize cultivation has gained much popularity among char dwellers of the district in recent years.
According to Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources, maize cultivation was not popular here even five years ago as the growers then incurred huge losses due to lack of its demand and fair prices.
With the flourishing of the poultry sector in recent years, the demand of maize increased to a great extent.
Cultivation of the crop on vast tracts of abandoned and sandy char lands in Sundarganj, Sadar, Fulchhari and Saghata upazilas of the district brought about a significant economic
change to the poor farmers and unemployed youths.
Favorable soil and climatic conditions have also encouraged the farmers to grow large scale maize cultivation on the char land, the sources said.
Younus Ali, a successful farmer of Karaibari char under Kamarjani Union of Sadar Upazila said he got 280 maunds of maize through cultivating it on 10 bighas of char land last year.
He earned Taka 2,46,400 through selling the crop in local markets while he spent only Taka 80,000.
Mollarchar UP chairman and also a maize cultivator M Saiduzzaman said if thousands hectares of char land are brought under maize cultivation systematically, overall socio-economic condition of the char people will be changed, there is no doubt.
Talking to the BSS, deputy director of DAE AH Bazlur Rashid said a total of 8935 hectares of land of the district were brought under the maize cultivation with the production target of 63,439 tonnes of maize this year.
Different commercial banks including, Rajshahi Krishi Unnayon Bank and Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited distributed agriculture loan to the growers here on easy terms to help them boost production of the crop, he added.