Mustard farming acreage up, interest in honey output growing in Sylhet

SYLHET, Feb 23 Amid a good yield of mustard in different areas of Sylhet, a total of 11,432 hectares of land have been brought under its farming this season. It was 9,300 hectares in the four districts of the division last year, official sources informed.

A report prepared by the DAE's divisional office showed on average 1.2 metric tonnes of mustard per hectare are expected to be produced in the region. Per hectare yield would be better this year although it was a little behind in the last 2 years after the farmers had suffered due to late preparation of their lands for the crop, said an official at DAE office.

We have established demonstration plots of high yielding varieties in different areas to woo the common and new farmers in the crop, since huge tracts of land remain uncultivated in greater Sylhet during the winter, said the additional Director of the DAE's divisional office Dilip Kumar Adhikari.

The mustard farming had been on rise in the Sylhet division whereas it was almost neglected just years ago, the official informed. Many of the farmers however, were found interested on the crop due to scope of extra earning through honey collection, said the DAE official.

This year the crop has been cultivated on 11,432 hectares of land in the region. It includes highest 3550 hectares against the last year's 2870 hectares in Sylhet, 2232 hecatres against last year's 1346 hectares in Moulvibazar, 3500 hectares against 3010 hectares in Habiganj and 2150 hectares against the last year's 1627 hectares in Sunamganj district, the official added.

The DAE had earlier targeted larger areas of land to bring under the crop's farming this season in the division.

Meanwhile, a good number of apiculturists were now engaged in collecting honey from the bee boxes, kept in the mustard fieldss in Habiganj, Sylhet and Moulvibazar, the official said. The DAE also distributed some boxes for honey collection on the crop lands, the official said adding, so far already 300 boxes were set on the fields.

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