By dint of its gradually increasing demand and lucrative market price, scores of growers have become happy over the maize farming both in rainy and winter seasons in Rajshahi region, especially Barind tract and Chalan Beel areas.
Farmers are switching to maize cultivation in increasing numbers because of better prices of the cereal and high demand by feed and flour mills.
The shift in cultivation from other crops such as wheat and rice has raised maize output, reducing the country's dependence on import. Stakeholders linked the shift in farming with higher prices of maize than that of rice and other crops.
Future growth in cultivation, however, will largely depend on the market price and poultry sector.
The farmers got fair prices of maize during the last couple of years inspiring them to cultivate more maize as its farming risk-free. There are brighter prospects for increasing maize production and the government has put due emphasis on the issue.
"A rise in temperature affects the production of wheat in winter. But maize can tolerate high temperature," said Dr Isral Hossain, chief scientific officer of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI).
So, a section of farmers prefers growing maize to wheat and winter crops as there is a demand for maize at the feed mills, he said.
Dr Israil Hossain said the farmers both the small and marginal cultivate the cash crop in more lands including the vast Barind tract and char areas in the region. Availability of quality seeds, including hybrid varieties, huge demand of the commodity in the country and maximum profits have encouraged them towards the farming remarkably.
Hazrat Ali, deputy director of Department of Agriculture Extension, said the field level DAE officials and staff are working relentlessly to overcome the existing obstacles being faced by the farmers relating to the maize farming.
Dr Ilias Hossain, senior scientific officer of Regional Wheat Research Centre, said various steps have been adopted to increase the acreage of maize along with boosting its yield as the crop diversification has been given top priority in the existing water-stress condition.
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