Mustard cultivation on rise in Jhenidah

Anyone visiting Jhenidah and Magura will notice a certain change in the scenery: the croplands look like yellow and green canvases.

This means that the mustard plants are in full bloom.

Mustard farming is increasing rapidly there due to the price hike of edible soybean oil in the market.

According to sources at the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), in 2022-23 season, 11,112 hectares of land have been used to cultivate mustard in six upazilas of Jhenidah. The amount of land was 9,119 hectares in 2021-22 and 9,916 in 2020-21.

This year, 3,200 hectares of land are being used for mustard farming in Sadar, 3,118 in Shailkupa, 2,544 in Harinakunda, 800 in Maheshpur, 400 in Kotchandpur, and 1,050 in Kaliganj upazilas.

Mustard farming is increasing rapidly there due to the price hike of edible soybean oil in the market.

Meanwhile, 16,355 hectares of land have been brought under mustard farming in four upazilas of Magura. Of the land, 8,160 hectares are being used in Sadar, 910 hectares in Sreepur, 2,275 in Mohammadpur, and 5,010 in Shalikha upazilas.

In 2021-22 and 2020-21 seasons, the amount of cultivated land was 13,309 and 13,495 hectares, respectively.

Toaj Ali, a farmer of Raghunathpur village, said he had cultivated mustard in only 10 decimals of land last year. "Due to the high price of edible oil, I decided to farm mustard in two bighas of land this year. It will also save me oil cost."

Farmers Rezaul Islam of Ghighati village in Jhenidah's Kotchandpur upazila and Sohrab Hossain of Bezra village in Magura's Mohammadpur upazila echoed the same.

Contacted, Asgar Ali, deputy director of Jhenidah DAE, said they are inspiring farmers to cultivate mustard as per the direction of the premier. "We are working to grow crops ourselves so that we can become self-sufficient."