Manikganj eyes bumper mustard output

MANIKGANJ, Dec 17 (BSS): The mustard cultivators of the district are expecting a bumper production in the current season as the favorable weather is prevailing.

Good yield of the winter crop and its fair price during the last several years, farmers of all seven upazilas of the district are spreading mustard cultivation in the area. Easy cultivation and harvesting process and lower production cost are reasons behind the popularity of mustard cultivation in the district.

Ala Uddin, one of the mustard cultivators of village Nabagram under Manikganj Sadar, said after harvesting the Aman, they started cultivation of mustard in their lands and after harvesting the mustard they would cultivate in the land their main crop Boro.

The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources said a total of 38500 hectares of land was brought under mustard cultivation in all seven upazilas of the district in the current season with a production target of 50050 tonnes of mustard.

Alimuzzaman Mia, Deputy Director, DAE, said the farming of mustard was been late this year due to flood.

About one hundred honey collectors from outside of the district including Jamalpur, Pabna, Satkhira, Narayanganj, Kushtia and Sirajganj have already started collecting honey from the mustard lands.

The DAE sources said bee helps to pollination by collecting honey flying from flower to flowers of mustard which can help increasing about 15 per cent production. The sources expected that about 35 tonnes of honey may be collected from Manikganj district in the current season.