Farmers and agricultural officials in Narail, Lalmonirhat and Khulna districts are expecting a bumper production of mustard during the current season due to favourable weather.
Now the growers are passing busy time taking care of the mustard fields in different areas.
A correspondent from Narail reports: Farmers in the district are hopeful that a bumper output of mustard will be achieved here this season.
The mustard fields in the rural areas of three upazilas of the district have started wearing a captivating look with the time of harvesting getting close. Farmers in some places of the district have already started harvesting the yellow crop. To meet the demand of the oil seed, mustard was cultivated on 3,673 hectares more land than the last year's. Newly-harvested mustard has started to show up in the markets of the district.
Symptoms of bountiful mustard yield and its high price have brought cheers for the cultivators everywhere in the district.
They are dreaming of attaining financial solvency centring the crop due to good yield. Agricultural officials said mustard production is profitable a venture as the crop can be cultivated without irrigation and through simple care.
Mosharrof Hossen Sheikh, a farmer of Hechlagati village in Lohagora upazila of the district, said he has cultivated Bari-18 variety of mustard on 45 decimals of land this year.
"I expected to produce more than six maunds of mustard and sell the surplus produce after meeting the family demand," he added.
Sources at the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Narail said 12,888 hectares of land have been brought under mustard cultivation against the target of 12,800 hectares of land this year.
Upazila-wise breakup of the cultivation is as follows: 4,120 hectares of land in Sadar upazila, 5,275 hectares of land in Lohagora upazila and 3,493 hectares of land in Kalia upazila.
Farmers' sources said the current price of mustard is satisfactory to them as the oil seed is now being sold at Tk2,500 to Tk3,000 per maund in the local markets.
When contacted, DAE, Narail deputy director (DD) Dipok Kumar Roy said farmers are getting highly interest in cultivating mustard.
Mustard seeds and chemical fertilisers have been distributed for free among small and marginal farmers. As a result, mustard has been cultivated in a record area of land and average production of the crop is increasing in the district day by day, he said.
Our correspondent from Lalmonirhat writes, an apparent bountiful yield of mustard has brought delight to the farmers in five upazilas of the district.
The farmers cultivated mustard on 4,880 hectares of land in the five upazilas in the current season with the hope of a good yield.
A good number of farmers have already harvested the crop and are preparing to dry up the oil seed. They are satisfied with the quantity of yield but very much frustrated about the price which is lower than that of the previous year.
The local DAE office gave incentives to the farmers to make them interested for mustered farming in the district.
The DAE has fixed a target to produce 15,981 tonnes of mustard seed from 4,880 hectares of land in five upazilas of the district.
Farmers cultivated mustard on 2,635 hectares of land in the last season. But this year they cultivated the oilseed on more land as the DAE gave them free seeds and fertilisers.
According the DAE sources, 10 kilogram murate of potash (MOP), 10 kg diammonia phosphate (DAP) and one kg oilseeds were distributed among each of the 14,600 farmers in five upazilas of the district.
Abed Ali, a farmer in Boraibari village of Palashi union under Aditmari upazila, said that he cultivated mustard on eight bighas of land last year but this year he cultivated it only one 42 decimals of land.
If the yield is good 5-6 maunds of mustard will be produced per bigha (27 decimal) of land, he expected.
Last year one mound of mustard was sold at Tk2500-2600 but presently newly-harvested mustard seeds are being sold at Tk2000-2200 only which is very low.
The government has taken initiative to expand mustard cultivation providing incentives to the farmers. But if the farmers do not get fair price they will lose interest to cultivate it.
Debendro Nath, another farmer of Araji Dewdoba of the same upazila, said that he cultivated mustard on two acres of land this year and yield is very good.
He said if the government can ensure fair price of the oilseed farmers will be interested to cultivate mustard.
Syeda Shifat Zahan, deputy director (DD) in charge of Lalmonirhat DAE, said the government is providing support to the farmers to expand mustard farming to help attain self-reliance on edible oil. "We spend huge currencies to import edible oil from abroad every year. Therefore we can save our valuable currency by expanding mustard cultivation. We advised farmers to preserve their produced oilseeds to get lucrative price," he added.
Our Correspondent from Khulna says: Farmers are expecting a bumper yield of mustard this season.
The DAE took up a massive mustard production target for the current season in the district. Official sources said due to bumper production of mustard last year, the enthusiastic farmers are now putting all-out efforts to make the programme a success.
A total of 790 hectares of land were brought under mustard farming with a production target of 1045 tonnes in nine upazilas of the district and the harvesting is going on in full swing.
While talking to this correspondent, some farmers in Batiaghata and Dumuria upazilas expressed their happiness over the support they got from the DAE.
Tariqul Islam, a farmer of Mikshimil village under Dumuria upazila in Khulna, said he cultivated mustard on five acres of land this year. He expects to earn Tk0.5 million (5 lakh) by harvesting mustard this year.
Alomgir Hossen of Gadipur village under Paikgacha upazila told this correspondent that he cultivated mustard on three acres of land. 'If weather remains favourable, I'll get 20 mounds of mustard which will fetch a profit of Tk120,000 this year," he added.
Batiaghata Upazila Agriculture Officer Sakhawat Hossain said mustard farming is becoming popular as it is a short-duration crop.
Growers can harvest the crop after 75 days of its cultivation. About 750 farmers in the upazila were provided with fresh seeds and fertiliser so that they can grow the crop without any hassle.
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