Maize was not a very important crop in the country even two centuries ago. Maize was cultivated as a minor animal feed in addition to humans. Bangladesh has shown great success in that corn cultivation in a short period of time. Maize has now become a branding crop after the country’s staple food grain.
Large scale cultivation and commercialization of maize has now started in the country. The demand for maize is also increasing as the production of poultry, fish and cattle feed increases. Majority of animal feed production is now dependent on maize. Besides, several private companies are investing in the production of maize flour, oil and maize products.
According to the information of the Department of Agricultural Extension, the cultivation of maize is increasing in line with the demand. In the meantime, there has been great success in yield. Maize production in the country has increased more than 11 times in the last decade. Last year, the country produced 5.6 lakh tonnes of maize. The production target for this year is 58 lakh tonnes. In 2015, the production of maize in the country was 2.7 million tons.
Maize cultivation is increasing with the demand. In the meantime, there has been great success in yield. Maize production in the country has increased more than 11 times in the last decade. Last year, the country produced 5.6 lakh tonnes of maize. This year the production target is 58 lakh tonnes.- Directorate of Agricultural Extension
Corn threshing season is going on now. Farmers are busy harvesting, threshing and storing corn. As the cost of growing corn is low, it also requires less maintenance. The profit is more than that. This year too, a lot of corn has been planted in different parts of the country. Agriculture officials believe that the production will be higher than the target due to which.
Maize yield in the country has also increased rapidly in the last few years. Turkey has the highest corn yield of 11 tons per hectare in the world. The yield of corn per hectare in Bangladesh is 10 tons, which is third in the world. Even five years ago (year 2018), the yield of maize per hectare in the country was 8 tons.
At present, the annual demand of maize in the country is more than 60 lakh tonnes. Due to which the shortage of corn is still dependent on imports. Last year, 21 lakh tonnes of maize was imported into the country. Three years ago its amount was 24 lakh tons. The country does not need to import maize during the growing season. The import of corn is also decreasing day by day.
Director of Bangladesh Wheat and Maize Research Institute. Salahuddin Ahmed told Jago News that the demand for food in the livestock and fisheries sector is increasing in the country every year. It created a big market for corn. Cultivation is increasing due to demand. The yield has also been successful. Bangladesh is on the way to the highest yield of maize by using high yielding varieties of seeds.
He said farmers have been getting good prices for maize for the past few years because of the demand, which is increasing their interest in farming. If this trend continues, there will be no need to import corn in the next few years.
The demand for food in the livestock and fisheries sector is increasing every year in the country. It created a big market for corn. Cultivation is increasing due to demand. The yield has also been successful. Bangladesh is on the way to the highest yield of corn by using seeds of high yielding varieties.- Dr. Salahuddin Ahmed
According to the data, maize is currently being cultivated in about five and a half lakh hectares of land in the country. But half of the maize production is in Rangpur division. Khulna and Rajshahi divisions are in the second and third positions respectively in terms of production. District-wise, maize production is high in Dinajpur, Chuadanga, Thakurgaon and Lalmonirhat.
Tajul Islam Patwari, Director of Field Department of Agriculture Extension Department, told Jago News that the land under maize cultivation is also increasing continuously. Farmers are cultivating corn instead of wheat. In the ongoing rabi season, our maize cultivation target was five lakh 42 thousand hectares, whereas maize cultivation has been done in two thousand hectares more. As a result, we believe that the production target will also be exceeded.
He said the harvesting of maize has already started, which will continue till June. We have learned that farmers are also getting good prices for maize this year.
Animal feed manufacturing companies said that the animal feed market in the country is growing at a rate of 15 percent annually. 55 percent corn is needed to make chicken feed. This rate is 30 percent in cattle feed and 12-15 percent in fish. These three sectors have a demand of 50 to 55 million tons of corn annually. Demand for sweet corn suitable for human consumption is also increasing. Besides, the market for corn flour, starch and other corn feed is also growing.
Rakibur Rahman, managing director of Nahar Agro, an animal feed manufacturing company, told Jago News that the size of the maize market in the country is around Tk 12,000 crore. Among them, the production of corn in the country is about 8 to 9 thousand crore rupees. And the rest of the corn has to be imported.
He said, the animal feed market of the country is now largely dependent on maize. Increasing production of fish, cattle and poultry also increases the demand for animal feed made from maize. More than three hundred companies of the country are preparing these foods. In addition, many people are involved in corn cultivation, preparation of various human foods, import-export processing and storage and processing. All in all, the corn market is growing in the country.
The animal feed market is now heavily dependent on corn. More than three hundred companies are preparing these foods in the country. Besides, many people are joining in corn cultivation, import-export processing, storage and processing. – Nahar Agro MD Rakibur Rahman.
Feed Industries Association of Bangladesh (FIAB) President Shamsul Arefin Khaled told Jago News that by increasing the production of maize in the country, animal feed is being ensured at relatively low prices. Apart from this, buyers of corn are also being created in the hotel and restaurant sectors. Demand for corn by-products is also increasing.
Nasir Group, one of the country’s leading industrialists, is already producing starch from corn. Besides, another big group is said to be preparing to build a factory. In addition to these two groups, various small and large companies are investing in the production of human food from corn.
Starch, ethanol, sugar, syrup are being made from corn. Besides, many industrial products including paper, card or hardboard, plastic pipes can be made from trunk, leaves and stalks. However, they are not yet commercially propagated, but the Maize Research Institute is working on it.
Recently, corn silage has become a popular alternative to grass forage for livestock. This cow food can reduce the daily requirement of grain food by about 30 percent.
A research report by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) last year showed that maize contributed the most to improving the quality of life of farmers in Bangladesh in a decade (2009-19). Then jute, meat and milk production. Then there are pulse crops, horticultural crops, pulses and oilseeds production and fisheries. However, rice production has the least impact on farmers’ living standards. Maize cultivation is also playing a major role in alleviating the poverty of rural farmers.
According to a report by the Food Planning and Management Unit (FPMU) of the Ministry of Food, maize is consistently replacing wheat as it is high-yielding, profitable and weather-friendly. The growth rate of maize arable land in 2019-20 and 2020-21 was 4 percent. At the same time, wheat cultivation decreased by 10.2 percent. From the fiscal year 2019-20 to 2021-22, the cultivated area of maize increased at the rate of 2.5 percent, but the cultivated area of wheat decreased at the rate of 1.1 percent.
NH/MKR/JIM
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