Every dewy morning, vast croplands of Jamalpur filled with yellow flowers sway in the frosty winds of Agrahayan and give the farmers hope for a higher profit this season. The flowers glint in the golden winter sun, creating a scene of extraordinary beauty. It all looks like a bride of nature dressed in a yellow wedding dress.
Anyone walking along the mustard fields drenched in winter dew will feel the scent of mustard blossoms wafting in the air.
This correspondent witnessed such beauty during a field visit to different areas under the seven upazilas of Jamalpur last week. A closer look at the fields revealed the presence of hundreds of thousands of bees that swarm the dark yellow flowers to collect honey.
Mustard is grown in loam and sandy-loam soils, especially in the riverine pasture areas, for which this winter crop is more cultivated in this region than other crops.
Agricultural experts say more farmers are expected to go for mustard cultivation in the coming years as the price of mustard seeds is rising and the demand for mustard oil among health-conscious people has increased significantly.
According to the Jamalpur Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) office, the mustard cultivation target in the district was 27,300 hectares this year, but the farmers have sown seeds on 32,500 hectares of land. Last year, mustard was cultivated on 23,400 hectares of land against a target of 22,500 hectares.
DAE officials say every mustard grower will get more profit than they got last year if the weather is favourable. Most of the mustard plants have already flowered. Production may fall if heavy fog and mist last a long time.
Dhaka TribuneMustard yields only within 75-80 days of planting, and farmers find it profitable as it can be cultivated before the Boro paddy plantation.
Sultan Miah, Barek Miah and Ismail Sheikh are mustard farmers of Gaibandha village of Islampur Upazila. They say the cultivation method of mustard is very easy, and it is a very profitable crop that can be harvested quickly at low cost. Mustard seeds are sown by sprinkling the land in the months of Kartik-Agrahayana.
Abdul Jabbar, Suruj Mia and Shafiul Alam of Shyampur Union under Melandah Upazila say the improved varieties are more productive than the local mustard variety. They estimate that the crop is better than last year. “I hope we will get good profit this year if the crop grows well,” said Suruj Miah, who cultivated mustard on his six-bigha land.
Farmers Anisur Rahman, Abu Taher and Abdul Samad of Mahadan Union of Sarishabari Upazila say mustard cultivation requires less irrigation and fertilizer. Moreover, mustard leaves are an excellent organic fertilizer.
Zakia Sultana, deputy director of the district DAE, said the department had encouraged farmers to grow mustard as a supplementary winter crop.
“Besides, the government distributed mustard seeds for free. By now, much of the cultivated mustard has flowered. If the weather is favourable, production will exceed the target, and the farmers will get extra profit this time,” she added.
