Most of the mustard fields in Ulipur of Kurigram are in full bloom as bumper yield has been achieved. Beautiful seeds have also started coming. Farmers are seeing the possibility of bumper yield. Farmers are now smiling in the hope of making a profit from mustard cultivation with agricultural incentives. This year, mustard has been planted in the abandoned Beel area of Satvita Beel of Buraburi Union in the upazila which has been lying fallow for two decades. Eye-catching view of mustard flowers can be seen across the fields after fields. Bees are swarming to collect honey. However, in many lands, seeds have been seen after flowering. The seeds are quite fresh, according to the farmers.
It has been seen on the spot that the enthusiastic farmers are also preparing to cultivate Boro paddy in the bill and fish farming in the rainy season this year. At the initiative of the Department of Agriculture, the farmers have been provided with seeds, fertilizers and financial assistance by removing water through irrigation pumps.
It is learned that Satvita Beel of Buraburi Union in Ulipur Upazila of Kurigram could not be cultivated due to waterlogging since the floods of 1986. It was abandoned all year round. As the 50 owners of the Beel were small and poor farmers, it was not possible for them to reform the Beel and cultivate crops and fish.
This year, Rikta Parveen, the deputy assistant agriculture officer of the bank, met with the owners of the Beel and formed a cooperative-based alliance. They clean the abandoned bill and remove the water with a pump and cultivate mustard with money, seeds and fertilizer through incentives. In the plan based Beel, it has been planned to cultivate fish in the rainy season and in the dry season. This Beel of 60 acres of land with the initiative of Agriculture Department has now turned into a vast farmland of mustard flower.
Marginal poor farmers are very happy to see bumper planting of mustard. Enthusiastic farmers are preparing to cultivate mustard in the upcoming Boro paddy cultivation. The owners of the Beel lands said the borough planned to cut and cultivate fish. The people of the area have applauded the initiative to make the abandoned bill cultivable through cooperative based societies.
Mokhlesur Rahman (56), a small farmer who owns the land in the Beel, said, "We never thought the Beel would be planted. Since only 60 percent of the land is in the Beel, I have been struggling to buy rice all year round. Now rice is not going to be a problem. I also get fish food from this area.”
Talking to Sirajul Islam, a farmer of the village, he said that all those who have land in the Beel are poor, so it was abandoned for so long. The Beel has now turned into a gold mine at the behest of the Department of Agriculture.
Rikta Parveen, deputy assistant agriculture officer, said the owners of the Beel had to work hard to organize and it was possible because they were interested.
Upazila Agriculture Officer and Saiful Islam said the Beel has been made cultivable by encouraging the farmers.
