The farmers in six Jhenaidah Upazilas have been producing at least 19 thousand tonnes of mustard seeds on 13,290 hectares of land in the current Rabi season. They are expecting over 1.42 tonnes of mustard seeds on each hectare of land on an average. The area of operation in the Rabi season might be increased in the season, said the farmers and the officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Jhenaidah.
Farmer Hafizur Rahman, 55, of village Gabla in Shailkupa upazila in Jhenaidah when contacted at his mustard plot at Bhatai Bazer area said he has been cultivating mustard on his 30 decimals of land in the season. He said he sowed the seeds in mid-October and expected to harvest the mature ones after three months between mid-December to late December. He is expecting about 45 maunds of the seeds in the season for an amount of Tk 70 to 75 thousand, where he will have to spend Tk 13,000 to 15,000 for seeds, fertilizer, irrigation, day labourer and other charges. It will ensure Taka at least 55,000 as net profit.
According to Hafizur Rahman, he could not receive this amount cultivating rice, wheat or other crops. He prefers mustard farming considering two things. The first was his family members feel comfort in consuming the mustard oil for cooking and other external uses. Secondly, he receives better prices from the seeds as it has good demand in the market. The area of mustard farming in his area is apparently increasing gradually, the farmer informed.
According to the office of the Deputy Director of DAE in Jhenaidah Khamarabari, they had set target to produce 18,872 tones of mustard seeds on 13,290 hectares of land in the season. They were expecting 1.42 tonnes of seeds from each hectare in the season. Upazila wise break up for mustard farming was 3,827 hectares in Jhenaidah Sadar, 1,256 hectares in Kaliganj, 478 hectares in Kotchandpur, 957 hectares in Moheshpur border, 3,729 hectares in Shailkupa and remaining 3,043 hectares of land in Harinakundu. The farmers in the district have so far brought 12,188 hectares of land in the season which is expected to be expanded within coming two weeks. They had produced 15,820 tones of mustard seeds in the last season in six Upazilas where the farmers had harvested 1.42 tonnes on each hectare on an average, the DAE sources said.
DAE Deputy Director of Jhenaidah Khamarbari Asgar Ali said the mustard seeds has a good demand throughout the country as most of the farmers gamily consume the same as edible oil for its medicinal potential. The demand is increasing satisfactorily among the common people for its good taste. The satisfactory price of the mustard seeds has been encouraging the farmers to expand the area of operation every year where the concerned farmers of Jhenaidah have been playing role to produce the same. It will help strengthen their socio-economic base, DAE Deputy Director said.
