GAIBANDHA, Feb 15 (BSS): A bumper production of mustard has been achieved in all the seven upazilas of the district during the current Robi season.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has set a target to cultivate quality mustard on 7,244 hectares of land.
Later, the cultivation target fixed by the department was exceeded and finally, a total of 7,820 hectares were brought under the farming with the production target of 7,820 tones of mustard.
Of the total land, some 750 hectares have been cultivated in Sadar Upazila, 540 in Sadullapur Upazila, 475 in Palashbari Upazila, 4400 in Gobindaganj Upazila, 480 in Sundarganj Upazila, 625 in Saghata Upazila and 550 in Fulchhari Upazila.
Crops production specialist of DAE Golam Mostafa said the cultivation of mustard had gained much popularity to the farmers of the district in recent years after getting repeated bumper production and better prices of the crop.
Easy cultivation process and lower production cost compared to other Rabi crops are the main reasons behind the popularity of mustard cultivation among the farmers in the district, he also said.
Meanwhile, the commercial banks including Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank also disbursed soft loan to the growers during the season to help boost production of the crop, bank sources said.
Jahedul Islam, a farmer of South Dhanghara area under Ballamjhar union of Sadar upazila, said Taka about 1200-1500 is needed to cultivate the crop on a bigha of land but it returns much profit. On an average 6 to 7 maunds of mustard is produced on the land during the middle period of Aman and Boro season.
Saddam Hossain Paban, a farmer of Goghat area under Kamarjani union of Sadar Upazila, said the farmers are happy as they are getting bumper production and fair prices against the crop this year.
Talking to BSS the deputy director of DAE Mir Abdur Razzak said the growers were passing their busy times in harvesting the crop and 80 per cent harvest had already been completed.
