Maize cultivation has gained popularity among char dwellers in Gaibandha. Photo: BSS

GAIBANDHA, Feb 12, 2025 (BSS) - Maize cultivation has gained popularity among char dwellers of the district in recent years as it has played a significant role in earning profit and changing the lives of many farmers.
 
According to Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) maize cultivation for the char dwellers of the district was not popular even a few 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 and its commodity increased largely in poultry farms and industries of the country causing the char dwellers to cultivate maize for five years with much enthusiasm.
 
Cultivation of maize on vast tracts of abandoned and sandy char lands in Sundarganj, Sadar, Fulchhari and Saghata upazilas of the district brought about a revolutionary change to the poor farmers and unemployed youths during the past few years.
 
Favorable soil, climatic and topographic conditions have also encouraged the farmers to grow large-scale maize cultivation on the char land, said Md. Sahadat Hossain, Sadar upazila agriculture officer of the DAE.
 
Cultivation of maize has been contributing significantly to the poverty reduction and achievement of self-reliance for the last few years as they are getting fair prices against their yield, he also said.

Abdul Goni, 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, against the crop farming,  he also said.

Kamarjani UP chairman and also a successful maize cultivator M. Matiar Rahman said the maize cultivation on vast tracts of char land was fully unbelievable to the char dwellers earlier.
 
If the thousands hectares of char land are brought under maize cultivation systematically, the overall socio-economic condition of the char people will be changed, there is no doubt, he also said.
 
Talking to the BSS, deputy director of DAE Khorshed Alam Sarker said over 1,92,000 hectares of land were brought under maize cultivation this year.

The farming of the variety might increase during the current season; he said adding that necessary measures had been taken to ensure the supply of fertilizer, pesticide and other agri inputs to the growers to make maize farming a grand success in the district during the current season.