Hybrid Maize Harvest Brings Tech-Driven Hope to Kurigram Farmers
Farmers in Kurigram are now dreaming of prosperity through golden maize harvests, powered by agricultural research and modern farming technology. Land in Roumari that once failed to bring smiles to farmers through paddy cultivation has now become a beacon of hope for the local rural economy. Vast fields across the upazila are now filled with hybrid maize crops. Due to lower risks and higher profits compared to rice cultivation, the BADC Hybrid-3 (B-3355) maize variety is rapidly emerging as the primary alternative to paddy farming in the region.
A visit to different areas of Roumari reveals that farmers become busy tending their maize fields as soon as the morning sun rises. Only a few years ago, many of them were devastated by poor rice yields and natural disasters. Today, they are seeing new hope through the production of hybrid maize. This success was highlighted during a “Crop Cutting and Field Day” programme organised by Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) on Thursday at Balurgram area under Dantbhanga Union.
Farmer Abdul Motin of Balurgram said he cultivated six packets of seeds on just one bigha of land and achieved an extraordinary yield of 85 maunds of maize. Currently, maize is being sold in the market at Tk 1,150 to Tk 1,200 per maund. According to him, the grains of this maize variety are highly nutritious, and the plants remain upright even during storms and heavy rain.
Another farmer, Shahin Alam, also expressed satisfaction after harvesting nearly 90 maunds from the same amount of land. Local farmers said the amount of land under maize cultivation is increasing steadily due to higher yields within a shorter time and favourable market prices.
Speaking as the chief guest at the Field Day on Thursday, BADC Project Director Humayun Kabir said the BADC Hybrid-3 maize variety is capable of surviving adverse weather conditions and is resistant to diseases. He noted that farmers are not only getting higher yields from this crop but are also becoming financially profitable. He added that the high-yielding seed is playing a major role in ensuring the country’s food security and increasing farmers’ incomes.
The event, chaired by Jamalpur BADC Deputy Director Priyotosh Roy, was also attended by Bangladesh Agricultural University Professor Ujjal Kumar Nath, Roumari Upazila Agriculture Officer Mahbubul Alam Bosunia, and officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension.
According to agricultural experts, maize cultivation is far more cost-effective than rice farming in char areas and sandy-loam soil regions. Due to lower irrigation and fertiliser costs, along with stable market prices, maize has now become a symbol of a safer and more prosperous future for farmers in Roumari and Rajibpur.
DBTech/AS/MI/OR
