Growing Popularity in Maize Cultivation in the Rangpur District: A Case Study on Gangachara Upazila, Rangpur District

Abstract

Maize cultivation has been gaining popularly in the rangpur district of Bangladesh in recent years. The study is mainly an attempt to explore the reasons for the growing popularity of maize cultivation in the Gangachara upazila (Sub-district) of Rangpur district. It also examines the future viability of maize cultivation in this area. For data collection, three-stage cluster sampling method has been used to determine the setting of the study selecting 110 farmers who have been involving themselves in maize cultivation for at least ten years, by replacing traditional crops like tobacco and boro rice. Benefit-cost (ratio) analysis is carried out in the study for its purpose and it is found that the cultivation of maize is more profitable than that of boro rice and tobacco. Furthermore, water table data analysis in the study also reveals that the ground water level is depleting in the study area in rabi season and causing groundwater scarcity. Therefore, it would be viable to cultivate maize in the near future at the backdrop of the scarcity of the ground water as maize is less water-intensive crop than other traditional crops grown in this region. KEY WORDS Maize, crop diversification, cost-benefit ratio, water table, groundwater.