Farmers in Sharankhola Upazila of Bagerhat are leaning towards mustard cultivation. Farming of mustard to change the fortunes of farmers. That is why mustard has been cultivated in 3 times more land this year than last year.
The appearance of the area has changed with the fragrance of mustard flowers across the field. Beautiful and mesmerizing mustard fields attract farmers and passers-by. Farmers of this Upazila are becoming more interested in mustard cultivation as it is more profitable with less cost and less effort. They are becoming financially self-sufficient even after meeting their own needs.
Upazila Agriculture Department Deputy Assistant and Plant Conservation Officer Md. Moshiul Alam said that 25 exhibitions and mustard seeds were distributed to 100 farmers to increase the interest of Bari mustard 14 and 17 and Bina Sarisa mustard 4 and 9 high yielding seed growers. Zainal Shikder, a resident of East Khontakata village, said he and his son cultivated mustard on six bighas of land. He said that once paddy and kheshari pulses were cultivated in this field. Mustard is being cultivated on a large scale for three years. Mustard cultivation earns three to four times more than Keshari pulses. Moreover, we are becoming economically independent by meeting the demand for oil. Mustard has been cultivated on about 400 bigha of land in our field.
Saiful Islam Molla, a government employee and farmer of Dakshin Kadamtala village of the upazila, said that he was cultivating mustard on 3 bigha of land last year. Mustard has been cultivated in 30 bighas of land including 20 bighas of fallow land in the current season. Tori-7, Bari Mustard-14, Bina Sarisha-7 and 9 high yielding seeds were collected and sown from Khulna. Due to water shortage in the area, they are unable to irrigate as per rules. He feared that there might be problems in the future. He said that lakhs of rupees have been spent till now while cultivating mustard on 30 bigha land.
Jahangir Matubbar of Madhya Khontakata village said that he cultivated mustard on 3 bigha land. In addition to them, mustard has been cultivated on about 50 bighas of land in the same field. Many people, including me, have cultivated mustard for the first time this year because of the low cost and high profitability.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Debbrat Sarkar said that the cultivation of mustard is the change in the fortunes of farmers. Farmers have realized this and cultivated mustard on three times the land this year compared to last year. Farmers have been encouraged by the Department of Agriculture to meet the demand of mustard oil, the major edible oil crop, in various ways and aim to become economically self-sufficient.
Over 100 farmers have been provided seed assistance of government promoted high yielding varieties. Exhibits are given. If the weather is favourable, the way the flowers are coming in is expected to produce a bumper crop.