Mustard is now being cultivated on twice the amount of land in Ishwardi, Pabna. Last time, the amount of land under mustard cultivation was 680 hectares. This time the farmers are cultivating mustard on 1 thousand 195 hectares of land in the upazila. Agriculture officials say that the cost of mustard cultivation is low, the yield is high and the profit is high for the farmers.
According to the office of Ishwardi Upazila Agriculture Officer, the target of mustard cultivation has been set in 1 thousand 195 hectares of land in Ishwardi Upazila this season. Last year the area under mustard cultivation was 680 hectares. As a result, mustard is being cultivated on more than 515 hectares of land this time. Mustard cultivation starts after harvesting of Aman paddy. That is, mustard seeds are sown in mid-November. Farmers will harvest mustard in mid-January.
Going to the region, it can be seen that mustard trees have spread yellow color across the wide field of Sahapur Union of the upazila. Mustard trees in some fields are blooming. In addition, after a few days the bees will collect nectar from the flowers and make honey. Honey collectors have started preparations for this.
Sujan Roy, Deputy Assistant Agriculture Officer of Agriculture Department, said that mustard is a very profitable crop. Labor cost is extremely low. However, the profit is high. After harvesting Aman paddy, if you plant mustard, 3 and a half to 4 and a half mounds and if you prepare the land and cultivate it, 5 to 6 mounds of mustard are produced in that land.
Talk to the national award winning farmer Shahinuzzaman. After harvesting paddy, this time he cultivated Bari-14 variety of mustard on two and a half bigha land. He said, if the weather is favorable, 6 mounds or more of mustard can be cultivated in one bigha of land.
The target of mustard production in his two and a half bigha land is 15 mounds. He said that he spent about three thousand Tk in mustard cultivation on one bigha of land. He spent 8 thousand Tk on two and a half bighas. According to the current market price of 3 thousand taka one mound of mustard, the price of 15 maunds of mustard will be taka 45 thousand. According to this, by producing mustard on two and a half bigha land, Shahinuzzaman's profit will be 37 thousand taka
Upazila Agriculture Officer Agriculturist Mita Sarkar told Bangladesh Post that mustard cultivation is increasing in Ishwardi due to high profit.
The amount of arable land has doubled this year compared to last year. Last year mustard was grown on 680 hectares of land. This year it has increased to 1 thousand 195 hectares of land. As the weather has been favorable and the field has been turned around, this time there will be a bumper crop of mustard. Farmers are benefiting from mustard cultivation. He said that mustard seeds and fertilizers have been handed over to the farmers at the scheduled time of mustard cultivation. We are trying to double the cultivation of all kinds of crops. The field level agricultural officers are always advising the farmers.