PROBLEMS FACED BY THE FARMERS IN MAIZE CULTIVATION

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the problems faced by the farmers in maize cultivation and explore the relationship of the selected characteristics of the maize growers with their problems faced in maize cultivation. The selected characteristics were age, level of education, family size, farm size, and annual family income, maize cultivation area, training exposure on maize cultivation, extension media contact, cosmopolitans and knowledge on maize cultivation. Data were gathered from 82 maize growers of four villages of Nabagram Union of Manikganj Sadar Upazilla under Manikganj district by using a pretested interview schedule during the period from 15th January to 13th February, 2015. For harmonious representation from each village, 10 percent of the maize growers were selected as the sample by using stratified random sampling method. Pearson's Product Moment Co-efficient of Correlation was used to examine the relationship of the selected characteristics of the maize growers with their problems faced in maize cultivation. The findings revealed that more than two third (67.10 percent) of the respondents faced medium problem in maize production activities and 19.50 percent faced low problems and 13.40 percent faced high problems. Hence, findings again reveal that most (80.50 percent) of the farmers faced medium to high problems in maize production. Correlation analysis indicated that among the ten selected independent variables maize cultivation area, training exposure on maize cultivation, extension media contact, cosmopolitenes and knowledge on maize cultivation had significant and negative relationship with their problems faced while age, level of education, family size, farm size, and annual family income had no significant relationship with their problems faced in maize cultivation. Farmers faced higher problems in ‘Lower market price of maize’ followed by ‘Lack of quality seeds’ and ‘Lack of training on maize cultivation’.