Farmers hit hard after maize crop fails in Bara

Bara, February 21

Farmers have been affected after the winter maize they cultivated did not bear grains in Bara.

Farmers had cultivated sipi and shrestha species of maize crop in various parts of the district.   Farmer Dinesh Giri of Badaharwa in Jitpusimara sub-metropolis-17 complained he saw maize cobs not bearing grains for the first time. Giri said he had cut maize plants cultivated in four kattha land and fed it to the buffaloes.

Another farmer Binod Karki said he was surprised to see that maize he cultivated did not bear any grains though the harvesting period was already over. Karki said investment on expensive seeds, fertiliser and labour was wasted as maize crop failed to yield grains. According to Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Bara, maize crop has failed at Jitpursimara of Kalaiya sub-metropolis and in Karaiyamai and Kolhabi, among other places.

Pollination does not occur when temperature is below 15 degree Celsius. Maize cobs did not bear the corn due to lack of pollination owing to low temperature, said Agriculture Knowledge Centre Bara Chief Jitendra Yadav.

Rajbanshi Chaurasiya, agriculture officer, said only maize crop planted in 200 hectares land in Jitpursimara had not failed.

Agriculture Knowledge Centre has deployed Rajbanshi and agriculture expert Genala Prasad Manda to study the problem. “We shall collect data and send the report to the higher authorities seeking solution, at the earliest,” said Yadav.