The government has launched a program to support around 50,000 small and marginal farmers in increasing maize cultivation. Agriculture minister Matia Chowdhury revealed that the program will provide seeds and fertilisers worth Tk 65 million to farmers free of charge. This initiative aims to assist farmers in cultivating maize across 16,500 acres of land in 62 upazilas spanning 11 districts. The program will kick off in the current winter season, with each farmer receiving 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 cultivating maize on each bigha [0.33 acre] of land. The minister stated that the programme aims to increase maize production by 31,000 tonnes, resulting in an additional maize market value of at least Tk 62 crore. The programme will take place in several districts, including Nilphamari, Kurigram, Rangpur, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Pirojpur, Barisal, Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, and Jhalokhati. The agriculture minister explained that the goal of the incentive programme is to encourage farmers to grow maize due to its high demand and lower cultivation costs compared to other crops like rice and wheat. She also noted that wheat production in the northern region has decreased due to climate changes, making maize cultivation more appealing to farmers. The nation produces approximately 1.55 million tonnes of maize annually and must also import an additional 422,000 tonnes each year.