The farmers are expecting a better output of mustard in Rangpur agriculture region during the current Rabi season as harvesting of the crop began with better yield rates.
Officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) here said harvest of the crop is nearing completion on the riverine char areas now while the process started getting momentum in the main land.
With appearance of the newly harvested mustard oilseed, the average price of the crop fell down to Taka 2,100 per mound (40 kg) against the price of Taka 2,400 per mound last month in the local markets.
Talking to BSS, Horticulture Specialist of the DAE at its Rangpur regional office Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam said the farmers already started harvesting of mustard and the process will end next month.
“The farmers cultivated mustard on 29,346 hectares of land against the fixed target of bringing 40,473 hectares of land under its cultivation to produce 52,211 tonnes of the oilseed in Rangpur agriculture region this season,” he said.
However, the fixed production target of the oilseed fell short as the farmers could bring 11,127 hectares of land less than the fixed cultivation target in all five districts of the region.
“The farmers finally cultivated mustard on 5,471 hectares of land in Rangpur, 6,175 hectares in Gaibandha, 11,530 hectares in Kurigram, 1,680 hectares in Lalmonirhat and 4,490 hectares of land in Nilphamari districts in the region this time,” Islam added. Deputy Director of DAE at its regional office Md Moniruzzaman said the farmers have mostly cultivated high yielding varieties of mustard like ‘Tori 7’, BARI-9, BARI-14, BARI-15, BINA-4 and other varieties of the oilseed on more lands.
To make the extensive mustard cultivation programme successful this season, the DAE and other agriculture related departments and banks extended necessary assistance to the farmers of the region.
“Besides, the government distributed 18.50 tonnes of mustard seed and necessary fertilizers free of cost as incentives among 18,500 small and marginal farmers of the region to cultivate mustard on one bigha of land each this season.
Meanwhile, harvest of mustard cultivated on the huge char areas on the Dharla, Teesta, Brahmaputra, Kartoa, Atrai and Jamuna and other riverine tracts is nearing completion and the process is getting momentum in full swing in the mainland.
Farmers Nurul Amin, Badsha Mian and Lokman Hossain of different char villages in Kurigram and Abdul Haque and Jabbar Hossain of Gangachara upazila in Rangpur said they have already harvested mustard and got excellent yield rate, reports BSS from Rangpur.
