RAJSHAHI, Dec 26, 2018 (BSS) – Field level agricultural extension
officials and scientists concerned along with the growers are expecting a
good yield of mustard seed this season as the government has taken various
steps to increase its production.
Nabibur Rahman, a farmer of Haripur village under Paba upazila, said the
cash crop is now growing well everywhere in the region due to appropriate
measures by authorities concerned and favourable climatic condition.
“We are harvesting the cash crop with hope of a better yield and lucrative
market price,” he said, adding that harvesting of the crop will begin next
month.
Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has set a target of harvesting
more than 2.28 lakh metric tonnes of mustard seed from around 1.85 lakh
hectares of land in all eight districts under Rajshahi division.
Side by side with the DAE, various other research and development
organisations like BARI, BARC, BADC and many NGOs have taken adequate steps
in collaboration with other departments this season.
Senior Scientific Officer of Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute Dr
Shakhawat Hossain said BARI has released 16 high yielding mustard seeds and
two of those- BARI Sharisha-15 and Tari-7 have become popular at the growers’
level.
Terming the mustard eco-friendly, Dr Hossain said its farming promotion
can be the vital means of lessening the gradually mounting pressure on
underground water.
The agri-departments and NGOs have provided quality seeds, necessary
inputs and trainings on the latest technologies to make the programme
successful.
The landless and marginal farmers have also brought vast tracts of the
sandy char lands under mustard cultivation this time in the Ganges basins and
the crops are growing excellent everywhere now in the region.
The vast char (riverbed) areas on the Padma, Mohananda, Boral, Ishamoti,
Kartoa, Atrai and Jamuna and other existing rivers and their tributaries are
being considered as suitable breeding grounds of mustard seed for the last
couple of years.
Dr Hossain mentioned that the farmers are seen farming the cash crop on
more lands after getting repeated bumper productions with excellent price in
recent years adopting the “Short duration Aman rice-mustard-mugbean-short
duration Aus rice” cropping pattern to reap high profits.
Agriculturist Mustafizur Rahman, additional director of DAE, said the
region has immense prospects to achieve self- reliance in oil seed
production.
He said the DAE and other agriculture related departments and banks
extended need-based supports to the farmers for making the extensive mustard
cultivation programme a total success this season.
In this regard, he also underscored the need for using the latest agro-
technologies and disseminating proper knowledge to the farmers for increasing
mustard seed to achieve self- reliance in edible oil to reduce the dependence
on import.