A Correspondent, POBNEWS24, Khulna May 27, 2023 : Excellent output with good market price of maize has made farmers happy of in Khulna agriculture region during the current Rabi season.
In the region, farmers have produced 10,285 metric tonnes of maize through cultivating 1,172 hectares of land while the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) had fixed a target of producing 10,992 tonnes of maize from 1,238 hectares of land in four districts of the region Khulna, Satkhira, Bagerhat and Narail.
However, farmers cultivated maize on 1,172 hectares of land , lagging behind the fixed farming target by 66 hectares of land, DAE officials said.
Maize cultivation is expanding every year in the region improving the livelihoods of farmers and also helping them in achieving self-reliance, Additional Director of the DAE’s Khulna region Agriculturist Mohon Kumar Ghosh said.
Alongside the government’s incentives, many NGOs distributed high yielding varieties of maize seeds and inputs among landless, small and marginal farmers, especially in coastal areas, for further enhancing maize cultivation in the area this season, he said.
“The maize cultivation is largely helping small and marginal farmers and riverside people in cutting poverty and improving their livelihoods braving the adverse impacts of climate change,” Ghosh said.
Maize has a huge demand in local markets as it is being used as fodder of cattle-heads and poultry birds as well as in the animal husbandry, poultry and food industries sectors bringing lucrative prices and benefits to farmers, he added.
According to DAE, the government has distributed high yielding varieties of maize seeds, fertilizer and insecticide among farmers through agriculture development project crops. The project was implemented in five districts Gopalganj, Khulna, Satkhira, Pirojpur and Bagerhat.
To make expert human resources, farmers were trained up from the project. After completion of the training, they got bumper production by applying the training guidelines, said project officer Amendranath Biswas.
While talking to this Correspondent farmers Angshuman Roy and Banaspati Roy of Batiaghata upazila, said DAE has provided seeds, fertilizer free of cost to the farmers after completion of training.
“As we got everything free, we were able to sell maize at a good price,” they added.
