TAFSILUL AZIZ

Farmers across the haor region of Kishoreganj are rapidly shifting from paddy to maize cultivation, citing lower risks from early floods, reduced production costs and higher market returns, officials and growers say.

The transition reflects a broader change in the district’s haor economy, where recurring crop losses and declining profitability in rice farming have prompted growers to adopt maize and, to a lesser extent, vegetables as alternative crops.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), maize was cultivated on 12,210 hectares of land in the district this year, with a production target of 1,20,509 tonnes. The figure marks a sharp rise from 4,450 hectares in 2017, indicating a steady expansion over the past decade.

Farmers said maize offers a critical advantage in haor areas -- it can be harvested before the onset of monsoon floods, unlike boro paddy, which remains vulnerable to early inundation and adverse weather.

“Maize is more profitable and less risky,” said Ali Hossain, a farmer in Nikli Sadar, adding that he cultivated the crop on four acres this season.

He expects to earn around Tk 4-4.5 lakh by selling He

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