Mustard growers expect bumper yield as the farming exceeds target in Nandail, Kurigram, Khulna

Nandail (Mymensingh) Correspondent :
Mustard cultivation has increased in Nandail upazila of Mymensingh due to the increase of oil prices. As a result farmers are interested in cultivating mustard on fallow land as the cost is low, in short time and the profit is high.
Apart from benefiting the farmers, it will be possible meet the shortage of oil in the country, said the local agriculture office. it’s known that a lot of mustard has been cultivated this year in Gangail Chandipasha, Sherpur, Bir Betagair and Char Betagair unions of upazila.
Fields of Mustards are blooming yellow. Flowers have started to appear in the fields.
Many have already sold the mustard greens and sown the seeds Again.
According to the office of the agriculture officer of Nandail upazila, Mustard has been cultivated in 180 hectares of land in 13 unions and municipality of upazila this year.
The production target levels has been fixed at 1.25 tonnes per hectare. Mustard seed and fertilizer incentives have been given to 2 thousands Marginal farmers of the upazila.
Sub Assistant Agriculture officer Md.Enamul Hoque of Gangail union said that interest in mustard cultivation has increased due to intensive supervision advice and incentive seeds and fertilizer among farmers.
Farmers in Gopinathpur village of the Union are expected to get a good yields of mustard on four hectares of land due to the provision of incentive seeds and fertilizer.
Nandail upazila Agriculture officer Agriculturist Md.Assaduzzaman said Mustard cultivation has increased by 13 hectares this year more than the target. Demand for oil and Ideal vegetables have increased interest among farmers in Nandail upazila.
UNB from Kurigram says: Mustard growers in Kurigram district are expecting a bumper yield as they cultivated more land exceeding the target due to low production cost and favourable weather.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Kurigram officials said prices of soybean and palm oil have risen sharply in the last two years and increased mustard cultivation can be a solution to edible oil crisis.
During a recent visit to the mustard fields in the district, the UNB correspondent found that a vast tracts of barren land have been brought under mustard cultivation .
DAE sources said, this year, a total of 16,400 hectares of land have been brought under mustard cultivation while it was 12,900 hectares last year.
Within two months of cultivation, mustard got matured for harvesting and the farmers have to spend Tk 4000-5000 per bigha of land. Usually 5000-6000 mounds of mustard are produced from one bigha of land.
Farmers said after harvest of Aman paddy the land remain uncultivated for 3/5 months and they cultivate mustard to utilise the land during the period. They will cultivate Boro paddy after yield of mustard.
Deldar Hossain, a farmer of Uttar Nauabas in Pachgachi of Sadar upazila, said that whatever he had cultivated in this char land is often damaged by flood. So, He is cultivated mustard after facing losses from Aman cultivation. Deldar is happy now expecting a bumper mustard yield.”
Babul, another farmer of the area said that the lands of the area have remain under water for 3-4 months in a year and when farmers cultivate Aman they count a huge loss. The weather of the area is good for Boro and mustard cultivation. He has e brought three bighas of land under mustard cultivation as he can earn some profit from it if weather remains favourable.”
Biplab Kumar Mohonta, Deputy Director of Kurigram DAE, said, “We are working to increase mustard production as mustard oil production is poor against the demand of the country. We have set a target to produce 50 percent edible oil in our country within several years.”
BSS from Khulna adds: Farmers are expecting an all-time record production of mustard after exceeding its fixed farming target in Khulna agriculture region where its harvest will begin from February next.
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Khulna region said the flowering mustard plants have given an enthralling yellowish look to vast tracts of crop fields and nature as well amid splendid climatic conditions pleasing everyone.
The DAE has set an all-time record target of producing 31,341 tonnes of mustard from 26,014 hectares of land for all five districts in Khulna agriculture region during the current Rabi season.
Earlier, farmers produced 26,416 tonnes of mustard by cultivating the crop on 21,047 hectares of land during the last 2021-2022 Rabi season.
 “As of last December 11, farmers have brought 26,014 hectares of land under mustard cultivation which exceeds the cultivation target of 24,370 hectares,” said Md Faridul Hasan, Additional Director of DAE, Khulna region.
 The record target of producing mustard has been fixed aiming at attaining self-reliance on production of edible oils from locally produced mustard and other oilseeds.
The government has distributed quality mustard seeds and fertilisers as special incentives among small and marginal farmers to inspire them in expanding cultivation of mustard and producing more oil seeds.
As a result, many small and marginal farmers have cultivated mustard on the mainland and riverine char areas with huge enthusiasm after getting the special incentives.
Being inspired by motivational activities being conducted by the DAE, farmers have by and large cultivated high yielding varieties of mustard on more land across the region to get high yields.
The DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) and Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) are extending assistance to farmers to make the mustard cultivation program successful.
After getting excellent production with remunerative prices last year, farmers are showing their interest in growing highly profitable crops this season.
Talking to BSS, farmers Moinur Gazi, Arab Ali Gazi, Firoz Sheikh, Mokhlesur Rahman and Nur Mohammad of different upazilas in Khulna said today they are expecting a bumper production of mustard this season.
 Farmer Khadem Ali of Kumira union in Satkhira said many farmers have sowed mustard seeds after harvesting short duration Aman rice on the same land to enhance crop intensity and reap more profits.