Staff Correspondent:

Over 2.41 lakh tonne of maize yield are expected to be produced from 20,268 hectares of land in Jamalpur district during the current season.

Farmers in the district are expecting 2,41,170 tons maize this year as they have brought extensive land under maize cultivation.

Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) office sources said farmers cultivated maize on 22,645 hectares of land, which is 2,377 hectares more than the last year.

The office said last year farmers got 2,15,246 tons maize from 20,268 hectares of land in the district. As farmers got boost yield of maize and its fair price last year, they drifted to bring more land under maize cultivation.

Mahbubur Rashid Mohabbat, a farmer at Vengura village in Islampur upazila said, “This year I cultivate maize on five Bighas of land. As I got a good profit last year from the crop, I increased land on it”.

He said last year varying the size per mound (40 kg) raw maize was sold at Tk800 to Tk1,000 and dried maize Tk1,400 to Tk1,500.

According to DAE, farmers cultivated maize on 7,845 hectares of land in Dewanganj upazila, 3,920 hectares in Bakshiganj, 3,550 hectares in Madarganj, 2,950 hectares in Sarishabari upazila, 2,280 hectares in Islampur, 1,230 hectares in Jamalpur Sadar and 870 hectares in Melandah.

Deputy Director of DAE, Zakia Sultana said maize cultivation in the district has been increasing because of its low production cost and marketing facility.

After harvesting maize farmers can bring the land under paddy cultivation, she added.