The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Rangpur

Farmers are expecting a bumper mustard production in the country's northern region this season as the blooming crop is growing well and the farmers brought more land than the fixed target under farming of the oily crop.

The vast tracts of blooming yellow mustard fields have created an eye-catching look everywhere including the char areas while seed formation now progresses in the fields where the early variety seeds were sowed.

Officials in the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said that a bumper production of the crop is expected as the prevailing climatic conditions are completely favourable this time and the farmers exceeded the farming target.

Harvesting of the early variety mustard will begin from the end of the current month and it will be completed by February in the region, officials told BSS.

The DAE has fixed a target of producing 2,45,250 tonnes of mustard with one tone production rate per hectare during this rabi season, which is 57 percent higher than that of the fixed target of the last season.

However, the farmers have brought over 2,55,000 hectares land under mustard farming during this season in the region.

Last season, the farmers got a bumper mustard production when the DAE had set a target of producing 1,56,262 tonnes of mustard in 16 northern districts and sold mustard at rates between Taka 1,400 and Taka 1,600 per 40-kg maund. The DAE sources said farmers of the region have cultivated the crop soon after harvesting the early variety of T-Aman and vegetables almost everywhere in the region including vast char areas.

The DAE, BADC, BARI and some NGOs have timely distributed adequate quality mustard seeds and the commercial banks provided agriculture loans among the farmers to achieve the target. Besides, the farmers have cultivated the crop in the huge char areas on the Brahmaputra and Jamuna basins where the crop is in full bloom that predicts a bumper production of the oily seeds.

Mustard farming has been increasing every year in recent times because of its low-cost and easy farming with maximum profits and adequate trainings on the latest technologies, inputs and quality seeds are being provided to farmers, officials said.