The mustard field in Chalan Beel of Tarash Upazila of Sirajganj is full of ripe mustard after the yellow flowers have faded. And because of the bumper yield of mustard this year, the farmers are smiling.
According to the Upazila Agriculture Office, more lakhs have been harvested this year than last year. In the current year, the target of mustard cultivation was fixed on 5 thousand 2 hundred hectares of land in Tarash upazila. But this year mustard has been cultivated on 6 thousand 500 hectares of land exceeding the target. Moreover, farmers are inclined towards mustard cultivation as a result of free distribution of fertilizers and seeds under the incentive of farmers in mustard cultivation.
Local farmers said that mustard has been cultivated in different fields of the Upazila this year. The yield has also been bumper. As the reason behind the bumper yield, he said, various measures had already been taken by the Upazila Agriculture Office to protect mustard from insect attack. At present, farmers are growing new mustard at home. It will still take about two weeks to fully harvest the mustard.
Jamal Uddin, a farmer of Dighi Saguna village of Saguna union of the Upazila, said that with the evolution of time, the farmers of this region have also developed intelligence. This year raw mustard has started to hit the market. I have started growing mustard on my 10 bigha land. Now in the current market, the price of one mound of mustard is trading at the rate of 1800 to 2200 taka.
Kobad Ali, a farmer who came to sell mustard at Naogaon market in the upazila, said that 4 to 6 maunds of mustard are available per bigha. The price of mustard per mound is being sold from 18 hundred taka to 2 thousand taka. However, the price of dried mustard will be higher, he said.
Tarash Upazila Agriculture Officer Abdullah Al Mamun said that this year farmers have been made aware of mustard cultivation. Farmers have been made aware of the methods of mustard cultivation and what to do in case of insect attack. Moreover, the officials have always been providing all kinds of support to the farmers from the field.
It is to be mentioned that the Chalan Beel region is famous for its mustard production in winter season. Due to the vast area of land and filled with monsoon silt, this region is perfect for winter crops cultivation.
Farmers in the area has been cultivating mustard, lentil, paddy and various other crops for over century. Once the water resides from the region, a massive work of crop cultivation starts in the area.
