Farmers expect bumper mustard production

A mustard field in bloom at Salondar village in Thakurgaon. Farmers in several northern districts hope to have a bumper yield of the winter crop this season due to a favourable weather condition.Photo: STAR

Farmers and agriculture officials in several northern districts are expecting a bumper production of mustard this season.
Mustard cultivation is gaining more popularity among the farmers in Thakurgaon and Panchagarh districts as they got good yield as well as good price of the winter crop during last couple of years, reports our Thakurgaon correspondent.
The farmers have cultivated mustard on 10,470 hectares of land this season against the target of 9,300 hectares with the production target of 11,160 tonnes (1.20 tonnes per hectare) in Thakurgaon district, said officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE).
In Panchagarh, 1225 hectares of land have been brought under mustard cultivation against the target of 425 hectares with the production target of 510 tonnes, DAE sources said.
The farmers have cultivated mainly six varieties of mustard -- BARI Sharisha 9, BARI Sharisha 11, BARI Sharisha 14, BARI Sharisha 15, Tori 7 (local improved variety) and Bashori (Indian).
"Most of the mustard plants have already passed the pod formation stage. They are now growing well and a bumper production is expected this season," said Zaherul Islam, crop production specialist of Thakurgaon DAE office.
Farmers have been suggested to spray 3/4 ML Melathion mixed with 1 litre water on the fields if there is aphid attacks the crops due to dense fog and severe cold, he said.
During this correspondent's recent visit to different areas of Sadar upazila in Thakurgaon and Boda upazila in Panchagarh, farmers said that they will start harvesting the crop in the second or third week on January.
Azizul Islam, 45, a farmer of Gobindapur village in Sadar upazila, said he cultivated mustard on one bigha (0.3306 acre) of land and made a profit of Tk 6,600 last year. He cultivated mustard on two bighas of land this season and expects a bumper production.
"Mustard cultivation, requiring only two times light irrigation, is easier and less costly than cultivation of other crops but returns much profit. It is done between the gap period of aman and boro paddy farming," said Sirazul Islam, 58, a sharecropper of Sahapara village under Boda upazila, who cultivated mustard on 1.5 bighas of land.
October to mid-November is the suitable time for mustard cultivation and it takes 65/70 days to get the yield, said farmers and officials.
Our Pabna Correspondent adds: Farmers of the district are expecting bumper production of mustard this season as many of them have opted for mustard cultivation to recover losses of boro and amon paddy farming during the last two seasons.
Thirty thousand 347 hectares of land in Pabna district has been brought under mustard cultivation this year, DAE officials said.
“We expect production of 36 thousand 4 hundred 16 tonnes of mustard this season. Production will be even better if the weather remains favourable,” Mostafizur Rahman, deputy director of AED, Pabna said.
But many farmers are now worried about the production due to the ongoing cold wave.
“To recover earlier losses in paddy farming I have cultivated mustard on five bighas of land this year and expected bumper production. But now I am worried due to dense fog and continuous cold weave,” said Rumi Khandaker, a farmer of Dashuria village.
AI Shahin, a development officer of DAE, however, said, “Dense fog and cold wave will not threaten production as it will be gone within a few days.”