A BUMPER PRODUCTION IN GAIBANDHA PEOPLE

Cultivation of mustard has increased to a greater extent in the
district during the current season with an expectation of bumper
production against the crop.
The cultivation of mustard has gained much popularity to the
farmers of the district in recent years for getting desired
production and fair prices against the crop.
Office sources said the department of agriculture extension
(DAE) set a target to cultivate quality mustard on 7,244 hectares
of land of all the seven upazilas in the district during the
current season.
Later, the cultivation target fixed by the department was
exceeded and finally, a total of 7,820 hectares of land were
brought under the farming this year with the production target of
8,690 tonnes of mustard.
Of the total, some 750 hectares of land were cultivated in
Sadar Upazila, 540 in Sadullapur Upazila, 475 in Palashbari
Upazila, 4,400 in Gobindaganj Upazila, 480 in Sundarganj Upazila,
625 in Saghata Upazila and 550 in Phulchhari Upazila in the
district.
The mustard plants have grown well and in many of the land,
the plants have already passed the pod formation stage. The
farmers are nurturing the field as per the directions of the
field level agri-officials of DAE to get desired production
against the crop.
Crops production specialist of DAE Golam Mostafa said the
farmers of the district had been showing more interest in
cultivating mustard in recent years after getting repeated bumper
production and better prices of the crop.
Easy cultivation process and lower production cost compared
to other Rabi crops is one of the main reasons behind popularity
of mustard cultivation among the farmers in the area, he also
said.
Rafiqul Islam, a farmer of Ballamjhar union of Sadar upazila,
said the cultivation of mustard requires only one or two times
light irrigation depending on soil condition and is easier and
less costly than cultivation of other Robi crops but returns much
profit.
About Tk 2,500-3,000 is needed to cultivate the crop on a
bigha of land he said adding that on an average six to seven
maunds of mustard is produced on a bigha of land while it is
cultivated between the gap period of aman and boro paddy farming.
Talking to the BSS deputy director of DAE Mir Abdur Razzak
said favorable climatic condition, proper distribution of high
quality seed, timely supply of fertilizers and other agri inputs
to the growers and less pest attacks in the field are the reasons
behind the expectation.