Nilphamari
Maize cultivation increases farmers income
Our Correspondent
Farmers of Nilphamari district are increasingly taking to maize cultivation as they find it to be a profitable crop. According to information provided by the agriculture extension department, maize was cultivated on 16,440 hectares this year in the district.
About 1,430 hectares of land was brought under maize cultivation in Domar upazila, 2,450 hectares in Sadar upazila, 115 hectares in Saidpur upazila, 8,190 hectares in Dimla upazila, 1,380 hectares in Jaldhaka upazila and 2,875 hectares in Kishoreganj upazila.
The deputy director of the districts agriculture extension department, GM Idris, told this correspondent that farmers in all the six upazilas are spontaneously taking to maize cultivation, as it is proving to be lucrative.
Three farmers in Domar upazilaMd Hamidar Rahman, Shoilen Ray and Md Ansar Alitold The Independent that they are increasing the cultivation of maize by reducing the cultivation of some other crops because they found maize to be low-cost and profitable.
GM Idris also told this correspondent that he has instructed all the six upazila agriculture officers of the Nilphamari district to encourage farmers to grow maize in place of tobacco.
Block supervisor Nasmul Alom, who works under Dimla upazila, said maize cultivation is improving the economic condition of local farmers.
Another block supervisor, Prasonno Kumar Ray, said maize cultivation, now being undertaken for the past 10 years, is more profitable than that of any other crop. As a result, more land is being pressed into maize farming every year, he observed.
