RANGPUR, Dec 14, 2021 (BSS) - Tender plants of early varieties of maize

are growing superbly as farmers are continuing sowing of its seeds in Rangpur
agriculture region during this Rabi season.

  Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said farmers
are expanding cultivation of the lees irrigation water consuming and highly
profitable cash crop after getting repeated bumper output with lucrative
prices in recent years.

   "Expanded maize farming is improving the livelihoods of farmers by cutting
poverty helping them in achieving self-reliance in the region," Additional
Director of the DAE's Rangpur region Agriculturist Md. Tauhidul Ikbal told
BSS today.

   The rapidly growing demand of maize in the country's flourishing poultry,
dairy and animal husbandry sectors and food industries is inspiring famers to
further expand its cultivation as a cash crop to reap more profits.

   The DAE has fixed a target of producing 11,33,325 tonnes of maize from
1,04,045 hectares of land for all five districts of Rangpur, Gaibandha,
Kurigram, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat in Rangpur agriculture region this
season.

   "Meanwhile, farmers have already brought 67,410 hectares of land under its
cultivation as the process of sowing of its seeds will continue till the next
month," Ikbal said.

   He said farmers produced 10.92 lakh tonnes of maize by cultivating the
crop on 1,01,845 hectares of land in all five districts of Rangpur
agriculture region during the last Rabi season.

   He hoped that enthusiastic farmers might exceed the fixed farming of maize
to reap a bumper production this season across the region.

   Talking to BSS, Senior Coordinator (Agriculture and Environment) of RDRS
Bangladesh Agriculturist Mamunur Rashid said there are more potentialities to
further increase maize yield by bringing vast tracts of char lands in the
riverine areas.

   Cultivation of maize is expanding fast both on the main land and riverine
char areas improving the livelihoods and living standard of small and
marginal farmers, landless char and riverside people during the last 13 years
in the region.
   Alongside the government's incentives, many NGOs distributed high yielding
varieties of maize seeds and inputs among landless, small and marginal
farmers, especially in char areas, for further enhancing maize cultivation
this season.

   People living in char and riverside areas are bringing more lands under
maize farming on char lands on the Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dharla, Jamuna,
Dudhkumar, Kartoa, Ghaghot, Atrai and other riverine areas in Rangpur region
this season.

   "The expanding maize cultivation is largely contributing to cut poverty
and help small and marginal farmers, landless char and riverside people in
improving their livelihoods braving the adverse impacts of climate change,"
Rashid said.

   Agriculturalist Dr Md Abdul Mazid, who got the Independence Medal-2018
(food security), stressed on expanding cultivation of the low-irrigation
water consuming maize crop also to save huge underground water amid changing
climate.

   He suggested farmers adopt conservation agriculture-based technologies in
maize cultivation to lessen the farming time and get maximum output by
reducing farming cost and reap more profits.

   Talking to BSS, farmers Rahim Uddin, Moslem Miah, Abdur Rahman and
Mohammad Mukul of different villages in Rangpur said they are sowing maize
seeds on their crop lands after harvesting Aman rice.