Lalmonirhat farmers expect bumper maize yield

Maize has been cultivated on large areas of land at five upazilas in Lalmonirhat this year, exceeding the target set by the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE). Farmers are highly interested in cultivating maize as it can be grown even on abandoned land, and also earns windfall profits, maize cultivators said. They are expecting a bumper maize yield and fair prices this year.

A DAE official said they targeted maize cultivation for 20,875 hectares, but the total area cultivated is 22,910 hectares, while it was 19,735 hectares last year. Lalmonirhat produces about one-third of the country's maize.

To discourage Lalmonirhat farmers from growing tobacco, different banks and NGOs provide them agriculture loans on easy terms for farming maize and vegetables.

Badsha Miah Sarker, 65, a maize grower from Telipara village in Lalmonirhat Sadar's Mahendranagar union, said he has been cultivating maize for the last few years. "I have cultivated maize on 8 bighas of land," he said, hoping that he will get up to 300 maunds this year. "I spent around Tk 5,000 per bigha and hope to earn a minimum of Tk 800 per bigha," he added.

"It is easy to grow maize as it does not need much labour," said Badsha's wife Jesmina Akhter, 55. "I always work alongside my husband in our fields," she added.

Farmer Mamtaz Ali, 65, of Putimari Dola village in Lalmonirhat Sadar, said "We need to spend less money on irrigation, labourers and fertilisers for maize cultivation than with other crops. I got 135 maunds of maize from 4 bigha last year, and cultivated this crop on six bighas this year. I am hoping to harvest up to 225 maunds this year," he said, adding that he sold one maund of maize for Tk 420 last year.

Mansur Ali, 55, of Paruliya village in Hatibandha upazila, said they have been earning windfall profits cultivating maize over the last few years, but suffered losses from paddy farming. "This crop is becoming the main crop in our village," he said, adding that middlemen pay in advance for purchasing maize.

Jahedul Islam, Lalmonirhat unit manager of NGO Muslim Aid Bangladesh, said, his organisation provides loans on easy terms to the farmers for growing maize and vegetables. "We always discourage farmers from growing tobacco," he said.

Maize trader Lavlu Miah of BDR Hat Road in the town said he and other traders give advance payment to maize growers for purchasing their crop at fair prices during the harvesting season. "We send maize to different poultry factories countrywide," he said. 

Safayet Hossain, deputy director of DAE in Lalmonirhat, said farmers will get bumper output of maize this year due to good seeds and favourable weather, and they will also get good prices. "Maize growers can earn some extra money by selling the maize stems as it is used as firewood, and  also from maize conic as it is used for producing sugarcane," he said.