Magic maize on Teesta shoals

Farmers loading maize for sale (left) and a field of the yellow crop on a Teesta shoal awaits harvest. About 4000 acres of fallow lands were brought under maize cultivation in one year. PHOTO: STAR

The socio-economic scenario started changing with harvest of golden maize on several thousand acres of lands in Teesta shoals, left 'barren and unproductive' for decades.

Two years ago, DAE tested the soil in shoal areas and found the soil suitable for this crop.

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Last year, maize was cultivated on an experimental basis, which achieved an unexpected success.

This year, DAE brought 4,000 acres of land under maize cultivation.

Now, about 10,000 people of 3,000 families in Teesta shoals including Char Kharibari, East Kharibari, Fakrater Char, Vandabari, Jharsingheswar, Gopal Jhar, Alsia Para, Baishpukur have a new lease of life. They are vibrant with hopes that monga (a pre-harvest lean period between September late November when there is no farm work) will not affect them this year. The maize cultivation also created jobs for about 5,000 unemployed people.

The DAE also taught them use of scientific cultivation of maize.

A DAE official in Nilphamari told this correspondent that they have other crops like ginger, onion, garlic, exportable aromatic rice in their basket for cultivation in the shoals.

"We are also trying these crops, and hopefully, will be successful", said Nilphamari DAE Scientific Officer Mohhamad Nazrul Islam.

Maize has been introduced under DAE's North West Crops Diversification Project (NCDP).

"Sandy and sand-alluvial soil in shoals is very suitable for maize cultivation", he said.

He said 2,038 men and 2,856 women have been provided short training under NCDP for cultivation of these crops.

Nazrul said the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing Tk 1,02,77,800 for loans to farmers in Rajshahi region under the NCDP. Nilphamari is under NCDP's Rajshahi Division Zone.

Some NGOs like Proshika, BRAC are cooperating in this project.

Janata Bank is also providing soft loans to poor farmers in shoals in Dimla and Jaldhaka Upazilas.

Block supervisors (BS) of DAE and NGO workers are providing technical support.

Farmer Sona Mondal of Char East Kharibari village told this corespondent that about 500 acres of land in his village were covered with 2-3 feet sand layers after a Water Development Board (WDB) dam burst in 2000 and flooded the area.

One thousand families became virtually beggars over night. There was none to buy these sand-covered lands even at Tk 200 per bigha (30 decimal), he said.

Sona Mondal got a new life when maize cultivation began in his

shoal last year. "The sandy land is now my asset", he said.

This year he cultivated hybrid maize in two acres of land and got 140 mounds worth Tk 41,000. He had spent about Tk 15,000, borrowed from bank and relatives.

Sona Mondal is among several thousand farmers in the area hoping better life by cultivating maize on Teesta shoal lands left uncultivated for decades earlier.

Maize farmers Yunus Ali, Abul Hasem, Zulhas, Wasuddin of Char Nilphamari DAE Deputy Director Mohammad Sakhawat Hossain hopes maize cultivation would help remove monga from Teesta shoals to a great extent.

Haider Ali, the chairman Tepakharibari union in Dimla upazila, an area worst affected by monga said maize has changed the socio-economic condition of his area. People who would queue for relief in front of the Union Parishad office earlier are not seen now.