Sirajul Islam Shishir:

Farmers of Sirajganj district including greater Chalan Beel region expect yield of mustard at Tk 1000crore this year.

In the current season, the Agriculture Extension Department (AED) has set up a target to cultivate mustard on around 90,000 hectares of land in nine upazilas of the district with a production target of 1.44 lakh metric tonnes. Meanwhile, 86,460 hectares of land has already brought under mustard cultivation, which is indicated about 1290 hectares higher than the last year.

AED sources said, the production target of mustard was fixed 1,30,860 metric tonnes last year. But, this year the target has been fixed 1.44 lakh metric tonnes due to rising of arable lands.

This year, 82,600 farmers of the district have received intensives to expand their farming. Of them, 71,000 farmers have taken the intensives with the aim to cultivate mustard on their lands, AED sources added.

Ahsan Shaheed Sarker, Deputy Director (DD) of AED in Sirajganj told The Daily Sky that, “We have encouraged farmers to cultivate BARI-14 varieties of mustard to get bumper yield. Besides, we have provided various types of intensives including best quality of seeds and fertilizers.”

Not only that the honey collectors are expecting to generate 382 metric tonnes of honey this year by setting beehives in the mustard fields that will help to boost the economy in the region.

Ayub Ali, a farmer of Dobila village in Tarash upazila told The Daily Sky that, “I got 25 maunds of mustard last year after cultivating on three Bighas of land. After harvesting, I have sold the dried mustard at Tk 3000 per maund. Due to getting good yield, this year I have cultivated mustard on five Bighas of land with a hope to get good yield and profit like last year.”

Abdur Razzaque, another farmer of Khalkula village said, “There is no hazard to cultivate mustard on land. Besides, most of the farmers have got intensives from Agriculture Department that encourages to the farmers.”

“Due to getting high profits by spending less effort, farmers in the region are leaning into the mustard farming year on year. Besides, lands of the district especially in greater Chalan beel area are highly appropriate for cultivating high quality of mustard,” Ahsan Shaheed Sarker, Deputy Director (DD) of AED in Sirajganj further revealed.