The season for cutting and threshing maize is going on at Ghoraghat upazila in Dinajpur district. The peasants are passing a busy time. Yellow maize is being decorated in the lands and houses of the farmers. Seeing that, the smiles of fulfilling their dreams have appeared on the faces of the farmers. At the same time, farmers are getting good price comparing the yield of maize. Excluding the cost, the profit per bigha is about 30 to 35 thousand for maize, farmers in the area stated.
This information was obtained by talking to several maize farmers of different villages of the upazila on the spot. Since the profit is more than the cost of production, more land has been planted with wheat this time as compared to the previous year. Moreover, breaking all the records so far, this time raw maize is being sold at the highest price. Maize cultivation has become profitable in river char, elevated, abandoned and uncultivated lands. Maize cultivation does not require extra labor and irrigation. Moreover, maize is more resistant to diseases than other crops. By cultivating at low cost, farmers are getting higher yield and profit than other crops.
Atowar Rahman, a farmer in Baganbari of the municipality, said that maize is being widely used as food for fish, poultry and cattle. Due to this, the demand for maize is high. Due to high demand, the market price is also getting better. With the good yield of Maize in this season, the highest price is also being obtained. At present, maize is being sold at Tk 950 to TK 1,000 per maund. This time he has planted maize in eight and a half bighas of land.
Masud of Varnapara village in the upazila has cultivated maize on 6 bighas of land this time. He is expecting a yield of 40 to 50 maunds of maize in return. In this case, he hopes to earn 3 to 4 times excluding expenses.
Ghoraghat Upazila Agriculture Officer Ekhlas Hossain Sarkar said maize has been cultivated on 20,600 hectares of land in four unions including one municipality of the upazila. This time the maize farmers are getting the highest price as compared to the previous years. On the other hand, due to high demand and price in the market, the farmers are inclined to cultivate maize. Maize is in great demand as poultry feed.
