The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Rangpur

The target of mustard cultivation has not been achieved in Rangpur Agriculture Zone (RAZ) during the current Rabi season as the farmers have already completed sowing of the seeds and the crop grows well everywhere. Officials in the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) told BSS that the farmers had brought 33,714 hectares of land under mustard farming, less by 8,121 hectares from the target of 41,835 hectares for this season in the RAZ.

However, the farming achievement of the crop is better in other eight districts under Rajshahi Zone as the DAE had fixed a target of producing 97,731 tonnes of mustard seeds from 97,731 hectares land in all 16 northern districts this season, officials said. Harvesting of the early variety mustard seeds is expected to begin from in the middle of January; officials in the DAE told BSS and added that the expected yield rate has been fixed at one tonne mustard seed per hectare this season.

The farming target of mustard could not be achieved due to crop diversification and other reasons, they said despite hectic efforts of the DAE, BADC, BARI, RAKUB and NGOs and distribution of quality seeds and agriculture loans among the farmers.

The blooming mustard fields have given an eye-catching yellow look now to the huge char areas in the char areas of Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Rangpur, Nilphamari, Sirajganj and Pabna districts on the river basins, where the seeds were sowed earlier.

Deputy Director of DAE Kamal Shariful Alam told BSS that adequate training, technical assistance, inputs, high yielding variety quality seeds, latest agro-technologies and agro-loans have been provided to the farmers.

As per the fixed target, the farmers were to bring 2,560 hectares under mustard farming in Rangpur, 11,674 in Gaibandha, 1,100 in Lalmonirhat, 636 in Nilphamari, 12,434 in Kurigram, 7,479 in Dinajpur, 5,406 in Thakurgaon and 546 hectares in Panchagarh in RAZ. Similarly, the target included bringing 24,500 hectares under mustard farming in Rajshahi, 28,300 in Naogaon, 23,429 in Natore, 10,600 in Chapainawabganj, 30,437 in Pabna, 55,896 in Sirajganj, 5,116 in Joypurhat and 18,100 hectares in Bogra districts under Rajshahi Zone this season.