Thakurgaon farmers eye bumper mustard yield
A blooming mustard field at Dakkhin Bathina village in Thakurgaon Sadar upazila. Framers and agriculture officials in the district are expecting a bumper production of the winter crop this year. Photo: STAR
Farmers and agricultural officials in the district are expecting a bumper production of mustard in the current season. Encouraged by good yield of the winter crop and its fair price during the last several years, farmers in five upazilas of the northern district are cultivating the winter crop on larger areas of land. Easy cultivation process and lower production cost compared to other Rabi crops is also a reason behind popularity of mustard cultivation among the farmers in the area, said officials and farmers. The farmers in Thakurgaon district have cultivated mustard on 9,180 hectares of land against the DAE's target of 7,760 hectares of land with the production target of 9,312 tonnes, officials said. Of the mustard fields -- 2,200 hectares are in Thakurgaon Sadar upazila, 1,700 hectares in Pirganj upazila, 1,350 hectares in Baliadangi upazila, 2,830 hectares in Ranishankoil upazila and 1,100 hectares in Haripur upazila. Most of the lands are covered with varieties developed by Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI), including BARI Sharisha-9, Tori-7 and Sampad, said Belayet Hossain, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Thakurgaon office. A few local varieties have also been cultivated, he said. Depending on soil condition, the cultivation of mustard requires only one or two times irrigation while about Tk 3000 is needed to cultivate the crop on a bigha (0.3306 acre) of land. On an average seven maunds (one maund = 37.32 kg) of mustard is produces on a bigha of land, Belayet Hossain said. Although the recent dense fog and severe cold weather posed threat of production fall due to 'alternaria spot' disease on leaves and pods of mustard plants, the farmers successfully overcame the situation following directives of DAE officials, he said, adding that mustard crops in the district have mostly passed the pod formation stage and it sees excellent growth everywhere. Last October to mid-November is better time for mustard cultivation and it needs 65-80 days for harvesting, officials said. The DAE authorities are trying to persuade the farmers to cultivate high yielding varieties of mustard invented by BARI between the gaps of aman and boro to earn profit. During this correspondent's recent visit to different areas of Sadar and Baliadangi upazila, farmers said they are hopeful to get bumper production of mustard and harvest will begin in third or fourth week of this month. "I cultivated mustard on a bigha of land last year spending Tk 2800 only and got six maunds of mustard. I sold each maund of mustard for Tk 1700 in the local market and made profit Tk 7400. I have cultivated mustard on two bhighs of land in the current season," said Amzad Hossain, a farmer of Dakkhin Bathina village under Thakurgaon Sadar upazila. Hobibor Rahman of Amgaon village under Baliadangi upazila said he has cultivated mustard BARI-11 on three bighas of land and expecting bumper production as the pods of plants are developing well. “Cultivation of mustard is easer and less costly compared to other crops and we get good profit from it. I cultivated mustard on my three bighas of land this season and am expecting to get 6/7 maunds of produce from each bigha,” said Biran Barman of Farabari village under Sadar upazila.
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