Hundreds of acres of land have been brought under the Mustard cultivation in Sarankhola of Bagerhat.
The miles long enchanting dark-yellow beauty and fragrance of Mustard flowers have changed the scenario of the areas. Enriched with Vitamin-E and antidote of various diseases, a 38 percent of Mustard oil and 25 percent of cakes can be produced by crushing the tiny seeds of mustard.
Mustard oil is tasty, increases resistance from diseases and helps to digest food. Being Profitable, cost and labour effective, the interest of the farmers are increasing to cultivate Mustard in their field day to day.
Mashiul Alam, Deputy Assistant Plant Preservation Officer of the Department of Agriculture of Sarankhola informed, more than five hundred bighas of land have been brought under the cultivation of BARI Mustard-14 and 17 and 9 varieties of Hybrid BINA Mustard. 280 farmers have been supplied with Mustard seeds and 100 farmers have been given incentives to make them interested to cultivate Mustard.
Mustard has been cultivated in huge lands of Purbo Khontaka, Matherpar and Rajoir villages of Khonakata union of the upazila.
Freedom Fighter, retired Head Master of Purba Khontakata village Harun ur Rashid informed, one paddy and Khesari pulse were cultivated in the fields of the village but for the last 3/4 years, a huge amount of Mustard is being cultivated there.
Mustard is four times profitable than the Khesari that is why farmers are getting interested to cultivate the Mustard. He cultivated Mustard for the first time on three bighas and land and intends to cultivate the same on 10 bighas of land next year.
Abdus Salam of Khontakata village informed he has cultivated Mustard on 33 decimals of Exhibition Plot and hoped to cultivate the same on more land next year.
Zakir Hossain Khan Mohiuddin, Chairman of Khontakata Union informed the union is agriculture-enriched region in the district. The farmers here are very conscious. A revolution in Agriculture has happened in the union due to the effort and supervision of the Department of Agriculture. Numerous farmers of the areas are getting self-reliant by cultivating various vegetable, crops including the Mustard.
Debabrata Sarker, Upazila Agriculture Officer informed farmers are being encouraged to cultivate Mustard to meet the demand of edible oil and to make them economically self-reliant. Target has been fixed to cultivate Mustard on some 1,000 bighas of land next year. There is no pest attack in the field and the climate being favourable, a bumper yield of Mustard is expected this year.
