Farmers happy with bumper maize yield in Tangail
Farmers in Tangail district are expecting a bumper maize harvest this Rabi season, with cultivation exceeding targets due to favorable weather, hybrid seeds, and government support. Over 8,800 hectares have been planted, especially in Jamuna’s char areas. Maize offers higher profits than paddy and rising demand from poultry and feed industries is boosting farmer interest and income.
TANGAIL – Farmers are expecting a bumper yield of maize in the district this season due to favorable weather, use of modern agricultural technologies and government support.
Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Office said the government has providing free maize seeds and fertilizers to a large number of farmers in the district in the current season.
Maize has been extensively cultivated in the vast char areas of the river Jamuna here and the farmers have eagerly cultivated maize in the char areas with a hope of a good yield.
During the current Rabi season, hybrid variety maize has been cultivated in more than the target areas.
The DAE office had set a target to cultivate maize on 7,800 hectares of land in 12 upazilas of the district in the current season but farmers cultivated maize on 8,815 hectares of land exceeding the target.
Most of the marginal farmers in the char areas under different upazilas of the district have been benefiting from cultivating early hybrid variety maize for the past few years.
Maize is cultivated more in the char areas than the other crops and farmers of the district are increasingly interested in its cultivation as it is more profitable with less effort and less cost.
Farmers said that at present, along with wheat, the use of maize has also increased in various fields. Maize stalk in both fresh and dried conditions is also used as cow fodder.
Moreover, there is a huge demand for maize in the poultry industry.
Farmers generally get 15-16 maunds of paddy from per bigha of land where 40 to 45 maunds of maize are cultivated from per bigha of land.
A farmer can profit Taka 30 to 50 thousand by cultivating maize from one bigha of land spending Taka eight to 10 thousand.
Harvesting of maize is going on across the fields of Gabsara, Gobindasi, Nikrail and Ajuna unions in the char areas of Bhuiyanpur. The yield has been good due to the favorable soil and weather conditions.
In addition, the seed and fertilizer provided by the government and field level advice received from the agricultural office have been useful to the maize farmers.
Haider Ali, a farmer of Alamnagar Char Nalhara village in Gopalpur upazila said, “I have cultivated hybrid variety maize of Pranadana Yuvraj and Ganga Padma on two bighas of land and have got good yield.”
Abdul Awal of Beletia village in Kalihati upazila said, “I have cultivated maize on four bighas of land. I hope to get a yield of 35 to 40 maunds per bigha.”
Deputy Assistant Agriculture Officer Md. Nurul Islam said maize cultivation has been increasing continuously for the past few years in the district.
“We are directly teaching farmers how to grow maize properly so that farmers do not face any problems in cultivating the crop,” he said, adding that farmers are also being advised to control various diseases and insects that attack maize fields.
Deputy Director of the DAE Agriculturist Md. Ashek Parvez said maize has now become an important cash crop in this district.
The department is always providing training and technical assistance to the farmers to boost its yields, he said.
The soil of the char areas of the river Jamuna is especially suitable for
maize cultivation.
“We have provided various incentives and technical assistance to the farmers so that they will get a bumper yield.”
He further said that maize is now not only a food grain, but also a raw material for the poultry and feed industries. As a result, both the demand and the price of the crops in the market are in favor of the farmers.
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Source : Bss News
