Consumption of maize - an alternative food habit to improve food security in the hilly

The study was undertaken during November, 2008 to October, 2009 to investigate the efficacy of maize as an alternative food for improving the food security of the people of Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. Data was collected from 900 households through questionnaires. The CHT is a food deficit area and they cultivate rice, wheat and indigenous varieties of maize. They cultivate maize in plain and hilly land following indigenous cultivation method for which yield is very low. A total of 57.33% people have experience of maize cultivation. The group of people (49%) who consume maize daily have been supported for long time food security during maize growing season. They only know boiling or roasting of cobs for consumption. It was observed that they like different types of maize food and they are interested to grow maize if they are provided with modern verities, loan, storage and marketing facilities and proper training for multipurpose use and cultivation. Women were involved in different activities of maize production. Three fourth of the respondents reported that socioeconomic condition could be improved by maize cultivation. As it can be cultivated all the year round with higher yield like HYV rice providing less investment, government, NGOs and local representative should come forward to increase maize cultivation to ensure food security with increased nutrition of hilly people.