Field after field is full of yellow mustard flowers in Chuadanga's Jibannagar Upazila. Farmers are more interested in mustard cultivation this season due to the good price of mustard in the local markets last season. Apart from this, due to the increase in the price of edible oil in the country during the current season, farmers are turning to mustard cultivation due to low cost and high profit.
Fields after fields of Jibannagar upazila is full of yellow mustard flowers. Farmers are expecting a bumper crop of mustard in the upazila this season.
Jibannagar Upazila Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer Delwar Hossain said that mustard has already been planted in the Upazila in the current season in excess of the target land. Farmers are preparing land for more cultivation. Bees are busy collecting honey in the blooming mustard field. Bees assist in pollination while collecting honey. After cutting the Aman paddy from the land, mustard is being cultivated again on that land. Mustard was cultivated on 250 hectares of land in the upazila last season. Mustard is being cultivated on the lands of the upazila where potatoes were cultivated last year. 8-10 mounds of mustard are produced per bigha of land. Farmers have turned to mustard and maize cultivation due to non-availability of potato prices.
Akimul Islam, a farmer of Manoharpur village in the upazila, said that the cultivation of non-14 variety of mustard is increasing in our area. The yield of Ufshi variety mustard is up to 10-12 mounds per bigha of land. Crops can be harvested within 70-80 days of sowing. Mustard oil is in great demand in the market as an excellent fodder for cattle and fish. Mustard is being sold at the rate of 4500 to 5000 per mound in the current market.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Sharmin Akhter said, this year, we expect mustard to be cultivated on more than the target land. Higher profits at lower cost and increase in edible oil prices have created interest in mustard cultivation among farmers. The price of mustard is also good in the market. We are providing all kinds of support and advice from the Agriculture Department.
