Mustard fields across the Chalan Beel area are monotonous with yellow flowers. Farmers are expecting a bumper crop this year. Because of this, farmers are working day and night. Agricultural officials are guiding the farmers to boost production. Agriculture office sources said that mustard has been cultivated on about 60,000 hectares of land in Sirajganj, including four upazilas of Chalan Beel.
It is known that this year the fields of Tarash, Singra, Ullapara upazila of Chalan Beel have been covered with yellow mustard flowers. Farmers are expecting a bumper crop this year as there has been less insect attack on the mustard crop compared to other years. Comparatively, the mustard crop has been very good this year. Moreover, due to the timely use of fertilizers and pesticides, the farmer does not have to get any kind of momentum to cultivate mustard. Farmers said that various measures had already been taken by the district agriculture office to protect mustard from insect attack.
Tarash Upazila Additional Agriculture Extension Officer Abdullah Al-Mamun said that this year more than last year has been harvested. In the current year, the target of mustard cultivation was fixed on 5 thousand 2 hundred hectares of land in Tarash upazila. But mustard has been cultivated on 6,500 hectares of land rather than the target.
Abdur Rahim, a farmer of Ghar village of Tarash upazila, said that early mustard cultivation has become possible due to the receding of rapid flood water in Chalan Beel area. He said, once the farmers of Chalan Beel used to cultivate only Eri-Boro one crop and kept thousands of hectares of land fallow. With the evolution of time, the farmers of this region have also developed intelligence. For the past century and a half, they have turned to the cultivation of IRRI-Boro, Aman, maize, and mustard.
Abu Sayem, a farmer of Thap-Tetulia village of Tarash upazila, said that we planted mustard on 8 bigha land and the yield was good. In particular, no insect infestation has occurred so far. He said that if everything goes well, he will be able to grow mustard at the rate of 6-7 mounds per bigha, or even more.
Rafiqul Islam, a farmer of Vadas village in Tarash town area, said that he has cultivated mustard on 3 bigha land. Due to timely availability of seeds, fertilizers and timely receding of flood water, mustard has been cultivated in large scale in Chalanbil. Moreover, the beautiful appearance of the mustard plant this year will result in an unexpected yield of mustard if there is no fog, too much winter and no insect attack.
Tarash Upazila Agriculture Officer agriculturist Lutfunnahar Luna said that this year farmers have been made widely aware of mustard cultivation. Farmers have been made aware of the methods of mustard cultivation and what to do in case of insect attack. Exchange meetings and yard meetings with farmers in different villages.
Moreover, the officials have always been providing all kinds of support to the farmers from the field. He expressed hope that there will be a bumper crop of mustard if the weather is favorable.
