After several rounds of flooding, the Teesta's water has receded and farmers are busy sowing maize on the sandbars that have emerged. Alongside maize they have begun growing potato, onion, garlic, groundnut and various vegetables on the wide chars. Every year farmers dream of changing their lives by growing crops on the Teesta's sandbars, and they have started sowing maize in the hope of an early profit.

On the ground, farmers were seen sowing seed for maize, potato, onion, garlic and other crops. In some places maize seedlings have already sprouted, and many farmers are spraying pesticide to protect them from insects. Because of its high yields, maize has been made a branding product of Lalmonirhat district, and maize growers across its five upazilas are pinning their hopes on the crop. But farmers are frustrated by the rise in seed and fertiliser prices: this year the price of seed has gone up by Tk 400-500 a kg.

The Lalmonirhat Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said a target has been set to grow maize on 32,910 hectares this Rabi season. A char development project has also started in three upazilas of the district, training farmers in technology and techniques in 16 batches of 30 each. If the weather stays favourable and there is no pest attack this season, farmers expect a bumper harvest.

Mohir Ali, a farmer on a Teesta char, said: "I have survived by growing maize for several years. You can make more profit from maize than from other crops."

Abdur Razzak, a farmer in Patikapara union of Hatibandha upazila, said: "Maize seed costs more this year than last time. Traders are charging Tk 700-800 for each kilo of seed. If fertiliser and seed prices keep rising like this, we will be in trouble."

Hatibandha upazila agriculture officer Mizanur Rahman said: "Maize is grown most in the char areas of the upazila, and other crops are grown as well. Farmers' lives are changing by growing maize and other crops."

Dr Md Saikhul Arifin, deputy director of the Lalmonirhat district DAE, said: "With the Teesta's water receding, farmers have come back to life. Char farmers are not sitting idle; they are preparing land and growing different crops. Production techniques and technology are being taken to farmers."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.