RAJSHAHI, Dec 26 (BSS): Field-level agricultural extension officials and scientists concerned along with the growers are expecting a good yield of mustard seed this season as the government has taken various steps to increase its production.
Nabibur Rahman, a farmer of Haripur village under Paba upazila, said the cash crop is now growing well everywhere in the region due to appropriate measures taken by the authorities concerned and favourable climatic condition.
"We are harvesting the cash crop with hope of a better yield and lucrative market price," he said, adding that harvesting of the crop will begin next month.
Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has set a target of harvesting more than 0.22 million tonnes of mustard seed from around 0.18 million hectares of land in all eight districts under Rajshahi division.
Side by side with the DAE, various other research and development organisations like BARI, BARC, BADC and many NGOs have taken adequate steps in collaboration with other departments this season.
Senior Scientific Officer of Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute Dr Shakhawat Hossain said BARI has released 16 high yielding mustard seeds and two of those- BARI Sharisha-15 and Tari-7 have become popular at the growers' level.
Terming the mustard eco-friendly, Dr Hossain said its farming promotion can be the vital means of lessening the gradually mounting pressure on underground water.
The agri-departments and NGOs have provided quality seeds, necessary inputs and trainings on the latest technologies to make the programme successful.
The landless and marginal farmers have also brought vast tracts of the sandy char lands under mustard cultivation this time in the Ganges basins and the crops are growing excellent everywhere now in the region.
The vast char (riverbed) areas on the Padma, Mohananda, Boral, Ishamoti, Kartoa, Atrai and Jamuna and other existing rivers and their tributaries are being considered as suitable breeding grounds of mustard seed for the last couple of years.
Dr Hossain mentioned that the farmers are seen farming the cash crop on more lands after getting repeated bumper productions with excellent price in recent years adopting the "Short duration Aman rice-mustard-mugbean-short duration Aus rice" cropping pattern to reap high profits.
Agriculturist Mustafizur Rahman, additional director of DAE, said the region has immense prospects to achieve self- reliance in oil seed production.
He said the DAE and other agriculture related departments and banks extended need-based supports to the farmers for making the extensive mustard cultivation programme a total success this season.
In this regard, he also underscored the need for using the latest agro-technologies and disseminating proper knowledge to the farmers for increasing mustard seed to achieve self- reliance in edible oil to reduce the dependence on import.