Mustard fields in various villages of Chuadanga district are decorated in green and yellow colours. Where there is a ceremony of immense beauty of yellow across the vision. The mist hovering over these mustard fields has made the morning scenery mesmerizing. Once the cultivation of sugarcane, jute, lentils and wheat was high in the district, but with the evolution of time, their cultivation has decreased. All these crops have been replaced by other crops.
Mustard cultivation in Chuadanga is increasing day by day to meet the demand for edible oil. Farmers are expecting a bumper crop of mustard this season if there are no natural problems.
The land remains generally fallow at this time after the harvest of Aman paddy. Instead of leaving the land, the farmers cultivated mustard and utilized the land. After cutting the mustard, the farmers will plant Boro paddy again on this land.
Sources from the Chuadanga Agricultural Extension Department have informed that in the current season, mustard has been planted on 3,515 hectares of land in this district. Out of this, mustard has been cultivated on 310 hectares in Chuadanga Sadar Upazila, 2 thousand 485 hectares in Alamdanga Upazila, 310 hectares in Damurhuda Upazila and 410 hectares in Jibannagar Upazila. Mustard was cultivated in 3 thousand 135 hectares of land in the season of 2022-23.
Abdur Razzak, a farmer of Jairampur village of Damurhuda upazila, said that after cutting the saplings, he planted Bari-14 mustard on the 50th century land without leaving it.
About eight thousand rupees have been spent to prepare the land including labour cost, fertilizer and irrigation. Mustard has grown well in the field. He expects to get about 10 to 12 manas of mustard this year. At present, mustard is being sold at the price of Tk 3,000 to Tk 3,500 per head. He hopes to be able to sell mustard for 30 to 35 thousand taka.
It is possible to earn 20 to 25 thousand taka by selling mustard during extra time. Boro can be planted on that land after harvesting the mustard.
Jalal Uddin, Deputy Assistant Agriculture Officer of Damurhuda Upazila of the district, said that the soil of the district is very suitable for mustard cultivation.
We regularly advise farmers for mustard cultivation.
Alamdanga Upazila Agriculture Officer Rehena Parveen said that mustard was planted on 2 thousand 150 hectares of land in Alamdanga Upazila last year. Mustard has been cultivated on 2 thousand 485 hectares of land this season.
He said that the cultivation of mustard is increasing due to the overall cooperation with various incentives for the farmers from the agriculture department. 71 percent of the district has cultivated mustard in this upazila. Bari-14 variety of mustard has been cultivated the most.
Bivas Chandra Saha, Deputy Director at Chuadanga Agricultural Extension Department, said that mustard has been planted close to the target in the current season.
The target was 3 thousand 700 hectares. And 3 thousand 515 hectares of land has been cultivated. Mustard has done well as the weather has been favourable. Production will also be good. Mustard cultivation is increasing especially in relay system.
Mustard seeds are sprinkled in the paddy field 10-15 days before harvesting of Aman paddy. By this the farmer gets the yield of Aman and from there the farmer also gets mustard.
Later, the farmer will plant Boro rice on that land. He also said that the average production of mustard per hectare is 1.5 metric tons.
Accordingly, the production of mustard on 3 thousand 515 hectares of land will be 5 thousand 272.5 metric tons. Two thousand 109 metric tons of oil will be produced from mustard.