Home ›› 13 Jan 2023 ›› Nation
Mustard cultivation has increased in Zajira upazila of Shariatpur district as part of the Department of Agricultural Extention’s (DAE) project of expanding oil crop cultivation.
Upazila DAE sources said high-yielding Ufshi variety of mustard has been cultivated on 415 hectares of land in Zajira.
According to upazila agriculture office, they are working to reduce the deficit by increasing the production of edible oil by 40 per cent by 2025, according to the current government’s plan to reduce the shortage of edible oil in the country.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Jamal Hossain said, “As a result of the concerted efforts of the current agriculture-friendly government, we are working with utmost importance to reduce the shortage of edible oil. Mustard cultivation has been increased by setting up demonstrations through incentive programs to increase oil production, oil crop production enhancement schemes, revenue schemes and NATP-II schemes.”
He added that the cultivation of high-yielding varieties of mustard by incorporating early varieties through block-based boro cropping at the field level has been accelerated.
Meanwhile, the cultivation of Bari-18, Bari-14, Bari-17, Bina-4 and Bina-9 varieties of mustard has increased by 15 per cent in the upazila.
“We hope that by continuing our efforts, Zajira Upazila will be able to produce more oil crops than the government’s target by 2025. This year, the target of mustard cultivation in Jazira is 2,530 hectares, but the cultivation has exceeded the target and reached 2,915 hectares,” he further added.
Chunnu Akon, a farmer of Senerchar union of Zajira upazila, said, “Last season, I planted Bari-14 varieties of mustard on one bigha of land and got a yield of eight maunds. As a result of the increase in the price of edible oil, I have cultivated Bari-14 varieties of mustard on seven bighas of land.”
He expects to get at least eights maunds of harvest per bigha as the weather condition has been favourable so far.
Giyas Uddin Molla, a farmer of Bikanagar union of the same upazila, said he planted Maghi mustard on three bighas of land and got 13 maunds of yield two years ago.
“Last year, on the advice of the agriculture department, I planted Ufshi variety of Bari-4 mustard on three bigha land and got a yield of 23 maunds. I used to get 3.5 kg of oil from 10 kg of the Maghi variety, but this variety produces 4.5 kg of oil from the same amount of mustard,” he said adding that he has also been making a good profit from it.
Farmer Iqbal of Shariatpur Sadar upazila said he cultivated mustard on one acre of land as the price of edible oil is high this year.
“I hope to get a bumper yield as the weather is favourable. I will sell extra mustard in the market after meeting my family’s needs,” he said, adding that instead of soybean oil, he will only consume mustard oil throughout the year.
Masud Miyaji, a farmer of Naria upazila, said, “I planted mustard on one acre of land with the help of the Agriculture Office. The yield has been good so far. I expect good prices of my harvest.”
