Because it costs little and pays well, maize cultivation is rising day by day in Thakurgaon district. With lower profits from rice and other crops, maize has become popular as an alternative. High-yielding varieties, modern cultivation methods and favourable weather have brought a bumper crop in the area.

Maize has turned around the fortunes of many farmers. A bigha costs Tk 22,000 to grow and yields 35 maunds of maize, currently worth Tk 50,000 at market. Because local varieties do not pay much, farmers in Thakurgaon are growing hybrid maize.

The Thakurgaon agriculture office says the district's maize target this year is 37,450 hectares, and 38,295 hectares have been sown so far. The yield target is 11.75 tonnes a hectare, for total production of 440,176 tonnes.

Farmers sow maize seed right after harvesting aman rice. The plants have grown tall, and the fields are now being tended, weeded and irrigated. For maize, farmers use fertilisers and pesticides such as potash, DAP, gypsum, sulphur, Furadan, urea and zinc.

Farmers say hybrid maize is grown twice a year. In the rabi season it takes five months to harvest; the later crop takes two and a half months. The first crop yields well and the later one less.

Karim Sheikh, a maize farmer of Salandar Chowdhurypara village in Thakurgaon Sadar upazila, said: "In terms of fertiliser, pesticide and irrigation, hybrid maize costs less than local maize. That is why farmers grow more hybrid maize."

Abdur Rahman, a farmer of the Chilarang area, said: "Maize has some diseases. Among them, insects attack and eat the leaves, which is the most harmful. So pesticide has to be applied when the crop is a month old. With irrigation and enough fertiliser the yield is good. Maize pays better than other crops, so I grow it."

Md Sirajul Islam, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Thakurgaon, said: "Because the maize market is good in Thakurgaon, farmers are focusing on it. With a short growing time and high market price, more is grown in Thakurgaon than elsewhere in the division. National demand for maize is about 60 lakh tonnes. Last year Thakurgaon produced about 2 lakh tonnes. Cultivation will rise further this year."

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