Farmers are expecting a bumper production of mustard in Rangpur agriculture region as its harvest will begin from the next month during the current Rabi season.
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said the flowering mustard plants have given a fascinating yellowish look to crop fields and nature amid superb climatic conditions pleasing farmers and common people.
The DAE has fixed a target of producing 53,733 tonnes of mustard from 38,710 hectares of land for all five districts of Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari in the region this season.
"The fixed production target of 53,733 tonnes of mustard for this seasonis higher by 2,191 tonnes than the production of 51,542 tonnes of last season," Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Agriculturist Md. Mahbubur Rahman said.
Farmers have finally cultivated mustard on 38,633 hectares of land this season. The government has distributed quality mustard seeds and fertilizers as special incentives among flood-affected small and marginal farmers to cultivate mustard on one bigha of land each to recoup crop losses they incurred during last year's floods.
Despite a little shortfall of only 77 hectares of land against the fixed farming target this year, farmers are expected to exceed the fixed production target of mustard following cultivation of its high yielding varieties of the crop on more land.
Farmers have mostly cultivated high yielding varieties of mustard like 'Tori 7', BARI-9, BARI-14, BARI-15 and BINA-4 on more land area and excellent growth of the crop plants predicts bumper production.
After getting excellent production with lucrative prices between Taka 3,000 and Taka 3,200 per mound (every 40 kg) last year, farmers have shown more interest in cultivating the highly profitable crop this season.
"The DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) and other agri-related organizations have extended assistance to farmers to make the extensive mustard cultivation programme a success," Rahman added.
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Farmers Mokhlesur Rahman, Shamsul Haque and Abdul Gafur of different upazilas in Rangpur said they are expecting a bumper production of mustard this season.
Farmers Manik Mian of village Darshona in Rangpur Sadar said he sowed mustard seeds after harvesting short duration Aman rice on the same land and is expecting to harvest the crop from mid-February next.
Senior Coordinator (Agriculture and Environment) of RDRS Bangladesh Mamunur Rashid said farmers have cultivated mustard on the vast char areas alongside the mainland this time after getting repeated bumper output in recent years.
"Farmers are expanding cultivation of mustard adopting newer cropping patterns after getting repeated bumper output and lucrative market prices in the last 12 years," Rashid said, and predicted a bumper production of the highly profitable crop this season.
