Harvest of maize, one of the cash and branding crops of the district, is progressing fast in all the seven upazilas of the district amid much enthusiasm among the farmers.
Locals' sources said, a few years ago, farming of maize was not popular to the farmers of the district. Later, for getting desired output and fair prices against the crop, the farming of the variety increased in the char land and main land of all seven upazilas of the district.
Year after year, the cultivation of maize continued to rise. At one stage, the maize became the branding crop of the district. This year, the maize is cultivated on 17, 045 hectares of land in the district.
The harvest is going on in full swing and it will continue till May. The farmers are satisfied as they are getting desired production against the crop. This year, 30-40 maunds of maize are produced from one bigha of land.
The growers are also earning economic benefit by selling the variety as per maund of maize is being sold Taka ranging from 1100 to 1200 in local markets depending on its quality.
Anguri Begum, a farmer of Char Khatiamari under Fazlupur union of Fulchhari upazila, said she cultivated the variety on two bighas of land this year and got desired production of the crop.
Climatic condition was fully favorable to cultivate maize this year in the district and due to favorable climate condition the crop had grown well on the vast land of the char, she added.
Timely distribution of maize seed, fertilizers, agri inputs to the farmers side by side with providing technological support and trainings from the field level agri officials are the main reasons behind getting desired output, said Matiar Rahman, chairman of Kamarjani union parishad and also a maize farmer.
Deputy Director (DD) of the Department of Agricultural Extension here Krishibid Khorshed Alam Sarker said over 25 percent harvest of the crop had been completed till April 09.
An initiative has been taken to communicate with the country's famous maize traders so that they could buy maize from here in a bid to help the growers get fair prices against the crop, the DD added.
Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)