BSS, Rangpur :
Farmers are expecting a bumper production of mustard in Rangpur agriculture region as its harvest will begin from the next month during the current Rabi season.
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said the flowering mustard plants have given a fascinating yellowish look to crop fields and nature amid superb climatic conditions pleasing farmers and common people.
The DAE has fixed a target of producing 53,733 tonnes of mustard from 38,710 hectares of land for all five districts of Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari in the region this season.
“The fixed production target of 53,733 tonnes of mustard for this season is higher by 2,191 tonnes than the production of 51,542 tonnes of last season,” Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Agriculturist Md. Mahbubur Rahman told BSS on Wednesday.
Farmers have finally cultivated mustard on 38,633 hectares of land this season. The government has distributed quality mustard seeds and fertilizers as special incentives among flood-affected small and marginal farmers to cultivate mustard on one bigha of land each to recoup crop losses they incurred during last year’s floods.
Despite a little shortfall of only 77 hectares of land against the fixed farming target this year, farmers are expected to exceed the fixed production target of mustard following cultivation of its high yielding varieties of the crop on more land.
Farmers have mostly cultivated high yielding varieties of mustard like ‘Tori 7’, BARI-9, BARI-14, BARI-15 and BINA-4 on more land area and excellent growth of the crop plants predicts bumper production.
After getting excellent production with lucrative prices between Taka 3,000 and Taka 3,200 per mound (every 40 kg) last year, farmers have shown more interest in cultivating the highly profitable crop this season.
“The DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) and other agri-related organizations have extended assistance to farmers to make the extensive mustard cultivation programme a success,” Rahman added.
Farmers Mokhlesur Rahman, Shamsul Haque and Abdul Gafur of different upazilas in Rangpur said they are expecting a bumper production of mustard this season.
Farmers Manik Mian of village Darshona in Rangpur Sadar said he sowed mustard seeds after harvesting short duration Aman rice on the same land and is expecting to harvest the crop from mid-February next.
BSS from Netrakona adds: Farmers and crops specialists are expecting bumper mustard production in Netrakona district as the crop’s fixed farming target has exceeded during the current Robi season.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Netrakona office sources here said, a target was fixed by the government to produce 6,754 metric tonnes of mustard from 5,195 hectors of land. But, the farmers have cultivated mustard on 5,250 hectors of land exceeding the cultivation target.
“It has been possible for the growers to cultivate mustard on more 55 hectors of land against the targeted land as the government has undertaken different farmer-friendly programs, including providing agricultural incentives to the mustard growers,” deputy director of the DAE Netrakona FM Mubrak Ali said.
The farmers are showing their keen interest to cultivate mustard on more farm lands due to the pragmatic farmer-friendly programs of the government, he added.
“Under the agricultural incentive program, the government has so far distributed seven metric tonnes of improved quality mustard seeds, 70 metric tonnes of MOP and 70 metric tonnes of DAP fertilizer among the 7,000 small and marginal mustard growers in the district” the deputy director informed.
