Agri dept proposes large scale maize cultivation for farmers in Jorhat

HT Correspondent
JORHAT, Jan 13: Jorhat deputy commissioner Ashok Kumar Barman chaired a meeting with officials of the Agriculture and Veterinary and Animal Husbandry departments here at the conference hall of deputy commissioner’s office complex on Thursday to discuss about the potential of taking up maize cultivation in the district.
A district administration official informed that about 50 progressive farmers from 13 agriculture circles of the district attended the meeting in which possibilities of starting maize cultivation in the district that would economically benefit the farmers was discussed at length.
Barman, while urging the farmers to take up maize cultivation stated that it (maize farming) was a viable means of self-employment as there was much demand for the crop. He also asked the farmers to adopt rain water harvesting methods for cultivation activities that could take care substantially of the water requirements.
District agriculture officer (Jorhat) Dr Nitumoni Gogoi, while speaking about the benefits of taking up maize farming stated that the soil in the district was fertile for maize growing. Gogoi said that already the department had initiated distribution of seeds for maize cultivation among farmers and would continue further.
Dr Sanjoy Borthakur, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Jorhat, advised the farmers to take up soyabean cultivation in areas between the maize cultivation as that would increase the fertility of the soil.
Akash Jyoti Gogoi, owner of Bahubali brand egg company, who also attended the discussion, stated that his farm had a huge requirement of the cereal grain (maize) most of which is procured from other districts of the state.
He said that if maize cultivation was carried out in a large scale in Jorhat district then his farm could be bought from the farmers and moreover, Gogoi informed that the maize plant was a good cattle feed.
Additional deputy commissioner Arun Kumar Brahma and Animal Husbandry and Veterinary department official Dr Sarwar Sader were among officials who attended the meeting, the district administration official concluded.