Photo : Messenger
Maize farming is experiencing a surge in popularity across all nine upazilas in Kurigram district, with farmers expanding cultivation on a large scale this year, driven by its profitability and cash crop status.
Official sources reveal that in the previous year, farmers cultivated maize on 6,253 hectares of land. However, in the current Robi season, this figure has skyrocketed to 16,500 hectares, signaling a remarkable increase in maize cultivation. Farmers cultivating maize later in the season are carefully tending to their growing plants, taking advantage of favorable climatic conditions.
The maize fields are now a picturesque sight, with towering fruit-bearing plants dominating the landscape. Farmers in Kurigram are choosing to cultivate maize extensively in both plain lands and riverside char areas each year, drawn by the promise of better yields and lucrative market prices.
According to the Kurigram Department of Agriculture Extension, a total of 16,500 hectares of land in the district have been dedicated to maize cultivation in the current Robi season. The average production target is set at 10.90 metric tons. The upazila-wise breakdown is as follows: 940 hectares in Kurigram Sadar upazila, 780 hectares in Ulipur upazila, 1,940 hectares in Chilmari upazila, 4,970 hectares in Roumari upazila, 2,850 hectares in Rajibpur upazila, 11 hectares in Bhurungamari upazila, 1,520 hectares in Nageswari upazila, 2,000 hectares in Fulbari upazila, and 400 hectares in Rajarhat upazila.
Farmers in Senai union under Rajarhat upazila shared their success stories, stating that they have been cultivating maize for the past four years on two to three bighas of land. They emphasized the profitability of maize cultivation due to its low cultivation costs and high demand in various sectors, especially for food grain.
Biblab Kumar Mohanto, Deputy Director of Kurigram Department of Agriculture Extension, highlighted the significant increase in maize cultivation this year, amounting to 10,247 additional hectares of land. Under the government's agricultural incentive program, 450 small and marginal farmers in the district have received free distribution of seeds and fertilizers to support maize farming. Mohanto expressed optimism about the continued success and growth of maize cultivation in Kurigram.
Messenger/Rocky
