Cumilla Correspondent:

Mustard cultivation area is increasing in Cumilla  due to change of rice varieties.  In Cumillas  Debidwar, mustard will be cultivated on more than 600 hectares this year against 369 hectares last year.  On the other hand, the cultivation of early variety saplings of Amandhan has increased in the field of Debidwar upazila of Cumilla .

 Various fields of the upazila can be seen, the interest of farmers in short life Bri Dhan 71, Bri Dhan 75, Bri Dhan 87, Bri Dhan 95, Binadhan-17 varieties has increased.  In the upazila last year the total plantation of short life varieties was 1201 hectares, which has increased to 1653 hectares this year.  Moreover, the short-life Binadhan-16 variety has been cultivated in 17 hectares, Binadhan-20 variety in 45 hectares and Rabi-1 in 56 hectares.

 According to sources, there is a trend of late planting of seedlings and Nabi variety (longer time) cultivation in Cumilla  due to various reasons including waterlogging, fear of flash floods and late harvesting of Aush paddy.  BR22, BR23 and Bri Dhan46 Nabi varieties have been very popular among farmers for a long time.  However, cultivation of Nabi varieties disrupts early rabi crops including mustard during the rabi season.  On the other hand, the Department of Agriculture Extension is working to increase the cultivation and production of oil crops including mustard.  As a result of this, the cultivation of Amandhan seedlings of early varieties has increased in the field of Debidwar Upazila of Cumilla .

The farmer of Yusufpur Union Satter, Hossain and kabirul Islam said that earlier they used to cultivate BR22.  Seeing the yield of Bri Dhan 75 and Bri Dhan 95 last year, the farmers have planted two varieties this time. Through Agriculture Office also got seeds of Binadhan 17.  As a result, farmers want to cultivate mustard on more than 150 acre of the field, last year it was only 2 acre.

 Deputy Assistant Agriculture Officer of Yusufpur Block Rafiqul Islam said that seeds have been kept and spread among the farmers in the field through the 5-acre seed production group.  This time everyone in the field is preparing for mustard planting.

 Debidwar upazila agriculture officer agriculturist Banin Roy said that short life varieties have been spread among the farmers by identifying potential fields for mustard cultivation in medium high land of different unions before the beginning of planting season.  To encourage the farmers to cultivate mustard, we are conducting village-to-village meetings and motivational meetings.  11,948 hectares of land have been planted with saplings.  Also, we hope to achieve the mustard cultivation target of more than 600 hectares.

Daily Citizen Times/OL/CC/END