Mustard cultivation is becoming more and more popular as an additional crop in Magura. This year mustard has been cultivated in at least 22 thousand hectares of land.
The Department of Agriculture Extension expects to produce 1.2 metric tonnes of mustard per hectare.
Deputy Director of the Magura Agriculture Extension Department, Sufi Mohammad Rafiquzzaman said, that the target for cultivation in 4 upazilas is about 22 thosand 406 hectores this year. In Magura Sadar Upazila on 10815 hectares, on Shreepur upazila 1251 hectare, Salikha upazila on 6780 hectares and on Mohammadpur upazila 3560 hectares are cultivated.
Mustard is being cultivated in Kapashati, Moghi, Parnanduali. Shreepur upazilas, Kamalapur, Khamarpara, Barishat of Magura sadar upazilas, Mohammadpur upazila Babukhali, Nohata and Gangarampur, Rajapur, and Kumarkutha of Shalikha Upazila.
After the Aman paddy harvest, the land remains unused for some time. Farmers are benefiting from cultivating mustard as an additional crop on that land. The cultivation of mustard is also becoming popular day by day with little care and low cost cultivation. Farmers are expecting favorable weather conditions and good yields if disease is not sown.
Bablu Sikder, a mustard farmer in Kapashati village of Magura Sadar, said that he has cultivated BARI-14 mustard in four bighas of land. He is hopeful of getting around 35 mounds of mustard from this land.
Another farmer Aziz Sheikh Parnanduali village of Magura Sadar said that he has cultivated BARI-17 mustard in two bighas of land. He is expecting 18 maunds of mustard from these land.
Sufi Mohammad Rafiquzzaman Deputy Director of the Magura Agriculture Extension Department, also said that the varieties of BARI-14, 17 and 18 BINA 9and 4 varieties have been cultivated in this season.
Farmers have been promoted and trained by the Department of Agriculture Extension. The Department has given fertilizer and seeds to 30600 farmers for free cost this year. If the weather is favorable, bumper mustard output will be achieved.
BSS from Pnachagarh adds: The mustard seed farmers of the district are expecting good mustard output this season due to favourable weather condition and timely supply necessary agro-inputs.
The mustard trees are growing well across the district as the farmers are taking good care defying adverse weather conditions. Now, the mustard field are adorned yellow color flower.
DAE office sources said about 4040 hectares of land have been brought under mustard cultivation this season with the production target of 4850 tonnes.
"I have cultivated high yield mustard on five bighas of land spending Taka 27,000 aiming to become financially self-reliant," said farmer Sunil Kumar under Debiganj upazila. He said: "I am expecting over 30 maunds of output from the crop land". The farmers begin harvesting the crop from the first week of February and continue till March. Getting repeated plentiful production and fair market price previous year.
A good numbers of farmers are now engaged in mustard cultivation commercially in the area this season. Farmer Rasidul said, he mostly depends on mustard cultivation every season. He used fungicide and pesticide along with chemical fertilizer at his mustard field during the time of tilling the land, he said.
Deputy Director of DAE, Panchagarh, Md Rias Uddin told BSS that fungicide and pesticide are boosting the production of crop including mustard seed.
The farmer shows more interest in growing the crops as its cultivation is easy and lucrative, he added.
