Seed Certification Agency has taken up an initiative to produce quality mustard seed in the district with the association of Agricultural Extension Department (DAE).
A total of 15,000 hectares of land of the district have been brought under mustard farming during the current season. Of the total, 172 acres of land in Sadar, Palashbari, Gobindaganj and Fulchhari upazilas have been brought under the farming of BARI Sharisha-14 and BARI Sharisha-17 under increasing oil crops production project run by DAE.
As the varieties have grown well on the demonstration plots, the contract growers are expecting good yield.
Earlier, the field level staff of the DAE had provided need base support including quality seeds, fertilizers, other agri inputs and technologies to the farmers under incentive programme of the ministry. Besides, the selected farmers were also imparted need base training on mustard farming in groups under the project.
District seed certification officer krishibid Showkat Osman said he was monitoring the mustard seed production activity closely and suggesting the farmers round the clock to help them get desired production of mustard seed. In reply to a query, Osman said the government would purchase the mustard seed from the contract growers through BADC. Deputy Director of the DAE here Krishibid Belal Uddin said the production of mustard in the district has increased more than any previous years.
It has been possible for motivating the farmers by the field level officers of his department and providing timely agri inputs by the government, he continued.
Efforts to farm mustard in farmers' level would continue in the years of ahead to reduce the consumption of soybean oil and to save the foreign currency of the country, he concluded.