BSS, Gaibandha :
Cultivation of mustard, a robi crop, has been exceeded in all the seven upazilas of the district this year with an expectation of bumper production against the crop.
Office sources said the department of agriculture extension (DAE) set a target to cultivate the variety on 7,090 hectares of land this year with the production target of 7,878 tonnes of mustard.
The target fixed by the department was achieved and later, it increased to a greater extent in the district during the current season brining more 5,320 hectares of land under mustard cultivation.
This year, a total of 12,410 hectares of land have been brought under the farming in the district with the production target of 13,790 tonnes of mustard.
Of the total, some 2,775 hectares of land were cultivated in Sadar Upazila, 1,155 in Sadullapur Upazila, 500 in Palashbari Upazila, 5,250 in Gobindaganj Upazila, 720 in Sundarganj Upazila, 850 in Saghata Upazila and 1,160 in Fulchhari Upazila in the district.
The mustard plants have grown well and are in flowering stage. The farmers are nurturing the field as per the directions of the field level agri-officials of DAE to get desired production against the crop.
Additional deputy director (Crop) of DAE Shawkat Osaman said the farmers of the district had been showing more interest in cultivating mustard 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 is one of the main reasons behind popularity of mustard cultivation among the farmers in the area, he also said.
Jahedul Islam, a farmer of Ballamjhar union of Sadar upazila, said the cultivation of mustard requires only one or two times light irrigation depending on soil condition and is easier and less costly than cultivation of other Robi crops but returns much profit.
About Tk. 2,500-3,000 is needed to cultivate the crop in a bigha of land he said, adding that on an average six to seven maunds of mustard are produced in a bigha of land while it is cultivated between the gap period of aman and boro paddy farming.
Talking to BSS, deputy director of DAE AKM Ruhul Amin said favorable climatic condition, proper distribution of high quality seed, timely supply of fertilizers and other agri inputs to the growers and less pest attacks in the field are the reasons behind the expectation.
The lands owned by affected farmers were also brought under this cultivation this year to help them recover the losses caused by floods through providing them with quality seeds, fertilizers and other agri inputs under agri rehabilitation programme, he also said.
Cultivation of mustard, a robi crop, has been exceeded in all the seven upazilas of the district this year with an expectation of bumper production against the crop.
Office sources said the department of agriculture extension (DAE) set a target to cultivate the variety on 7,090 hectares of land this year with the production target of 7,878 tonnes of mustard.
The target fixed by the department was achieved and later, it increased to a greater extent in the district during the current season brining more 5,320 hectares of land under mustard cultivation.
This year, a total of 12,410 hectares of land have been brought under the farming in the district with the production target of 13,790 tonnes of mustard.
Of the total, some 2,775 hectares of land were cultivated in Sadar Upazila, 1,155 in Sadullapur Upazila, 500 in Palashbari Upazila, 5,250 in Gobindaganj Upazila, 720 in Sundarganj Upazila, 850 in Saghata Upazila and 1,160 in Fulchhari Upazila in the district.
The mustard plants have grown well and are in flowering stage. The farmers are nurturing the field as per the directions of the field level agri-officials of DAE to get desired production against the crop.
Additional deputy director (Crop) of DAE Shawkat Osaman said the farmers of the district had been showing more interest in cultivating mustard 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 is one of the main reasons behind popularity of mustard cultivation among the farmers in the area, he also said.
Jahedul Islam, a farmer of Ballamjhar union of Sadar upazila, said the cultivation of mustard requires only one or two times light irrigation depending on soil condition and is easier and less costly than cultivation of other Robi crops but returns much profit.
About Tk. 2,500-3,000 is needed to cultivate the crop in a bigha of land he said, adding that on an average six to seven maunds of mustard are produced in a bigha of land while it is cultivated between the gap period of aman and boro paddy farming.
Talking to BSS, deputy director of DAE AKM Ruhul Amin said favorable climatic condition, proper distribution of high quality seed, timely supply of fertilizers and other agri inputs to the growers and less pest attacks in the field are the reasons behind the expectation.
The lands owned by affected farmers were also brought under this cultivation this year to help them recover the losses caused by floods through providing them with quality seeds, fertilizers and other agri inputs under agri rehabilitation programme, he also said.
