The government has launched a program to support around 50,000 small and marginal farmers in increasing maize cultivation. Agriculture minister Matia Chowdhury made the announcement of the assistance, which includes distributing seeds and fertilizers worth Tk 65 million for free, during a press conference at the ministry's conference room on Wednesday. The initiative will provide seeds and fertilisers to farmers to cultivate maize on 16,500 acres of land in 62 upazilas across 11 districts. The program will begin in the current winter season and each farmer will receive 3 kilograms of hybrid maize seeds and 50 kgs of fertilisers, including 25kgs of diamonium phosphate (DAP) and muriate of potash (MoP), as incentives for each bigha [0.33 acre] of land used for maize cultivation, as stated by the minister. The minister stated that the programme aims to boost maize production by 31,000 tonnes, resulting in a market value of at least Tk 62 crore. The initiative will be carried out in several districts including Nilphamari, Kurigram, Rangpur, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Pirojpur, Barisal, Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, and Jhalokhati. The minister explained that the goal of the programme is to encourage farmers to cultivate maize due to its high demand and lower cultivation costs compared to crops like rice and wheat. She noted that wheat production in the northern region has declined due to climate changes, making maize cultivation more appealing to farmers due to its demand for both human and poultry consumption. The nation produces approximately 1.55 million tonnes of maize every year, but it also requires importing an additional 422,000 tonnes annually.