Mustard growers in Kurigram district are expecting a bumper yield as they cultivated more land exceeding the target due to low production cost and favourable weather. Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Kurigram officials said prices of soybean and palm oil have risen sharply in the last two years and increased mustard cultivation can be a solution to edible oil crisis. Read more: Floating vegetable farmers in Pirojpur devastated by low prices During a recent visit to the mustard fields in the district, the UNB correspondent found that a vast tracts of barren land have been brought under mustard cultivation . DAE sources said, this year, a total of 16,400 hectares of land have been brought under mustard cultivation while it was 12,900 hectares last year. Within two months of cultivation, mustard got matured for harvesting and the farmers have to spend Tk 4000-5000 per bigha of land. Usually 5000-6000 mounds of mustard are produced from one bigha of land. Farmers said after harvest of Aman paddy the land remain uncultivated for 3/5 months and they cultivate mustard to utilise the land during the period. They will cultivate Boro paddy after yield of mustard. Read more: BPC opens control room to monitor smooth supply of diesel farmers for irrigation Deldar Hossain, a farmer of Uttar Nauabas in Pachgachi of Sadar upazila, said “Whatever I cultivate in this char land is often damaged by flood. So, I cultivated mustard after facing losses from Aman cultivation. I am happy now expecting a bumper mustard yield.” Babul, another farmer of the area said “The lands of the area have remain under water for 3-4 months in a year and when farmers cultivate Aman they count a huge loss. The weather of the area is good for Boro and mustard cultivation. I have brought three bighas of land under mustard cultivation as I can earn some profit from it if weather remains favourable.” Biplab Kumar Mohonta, deputy director of Kurigram DAE, said, “We are working to increase mustard production as mustard oil production is poor against the demand of the country. We have set a target to produce 50 percent edible oil in our country within several years.”

A record production of mango is likely in Rajshahi district due to favourable weather condition. This year Rajshahi district might break all its previous records of mango production,  said Abdullah Hil Kafi, Additional Deputy Director of the Agricultural Extension Department. As additional 572 hectares of land was brought under mango cultivation this year, Fruit Research Centre in Rajshahi under the Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) is expecting a record-breaking output. Read: Mango wonder: 200 varieties in a single tree in Chapainawabganj Mango trees are in full bloom making Rajshahi farmers also hopeful of bumper yield this year. In the 2020-21 season, there were mango orchards on 17,943 hectares of land in the district that yielded about 2.17 lakh MTs of mangoes  and Tk 86.85 crore mangoes were sold. In the 2019-20 season, 17686 hectares of land mangos orchards yielded about 1.80 lakh MTs of mangoes  and Tk 71.81 crore mangoes were sold. According to the Agricultural Extension Department, in the current (2021-22) season, mangoes have been cultivated on 18,515 hectares of land. “This year mango production target was set at 15.85 MTs per hectare. We are expecting a record breaking yield of mangoes in Rajshahi district because of the increased cultivation,” said Dr Abdul Alim, Chief Scientific Officer of Fruit Research Station in Rajshahi. He said, “The weather so far this season is favorable for mango cultivation as soil retained enough water due to sufficient rain in the last monsoon. The trees got enough nutrition as many farmers cultivated mangoes beside vegetable farming lands.” Read: Rajshahi 'to own' Fazli mangoes “Though the mango buds are less than the previous year, we are expecting a record breaking yield because of the increased cultivation,” he added. Abul Hossain, a mango farmer from the Charghat area having a total of 2.68 hectares of mango orchard said, “Last year, the mango production was good but due to Covid-19 induced lockdown the farmers did not get good profit. But this year ripe mangoes will reach the market immediately after Eid-ul-Fitr which might bring a good profit for us,” he said.

Farmers in Manirampur upazila in Jashore district are expecting a bumper production of garlic in the current season thanks to a favourable weather.