New variety of mustard oil on high demand
OUR CORRESPONDENT, Bhola
Mustard growers in Bhola district are expecting good yields this season due to favourable weather conditions and new varieties of high-yielding mustard oil seeds being prepared at Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institut e (BARI). Sources in the Bhola district office of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said that about 7,100 hectares of land have been brought under the mustard cultivation programme in the district. They have a production target of 10,000 metric tonnes of yield.
During a recent visit to Ilisha village in Sadar upazila, it was found that the mustard crops are in the ripening stage and farmers are busy tending to their land.
Mustard grower Abdur Rashid said that he cultivated the crop on one acre of land this year and made a profit of Tk. 10,000. Mustard cultivators Abdul Munaf and Siddque of Rajapur said that as these are short-duration crops, farmers gain financially, and after the harvesting of mustard, they are able to cultivate Boro paddy on their lands.
Upazila agriculture officer of Bhola Sadar, Riazuddin, said that BARI prepared the new mustard seed varieties BARI-1, BARI -14, BARI-9, BARI-4, and RAI in their laboratories.
These are high-yielding and pest-protected high-yielding varieties.
He added that these varieties are popular among farmers because they get high yields and fair prices.At present, mustard is being sold for Tk. 800 per mound in the markets and farmers get additional money for these short-duration crops.
