Fair price of mustard seeds makes marginal farmers happy in Joypurhat

JOYPURHAT, Feb 14: Fair market price of newly harvested mustard seeds is making hundreds of marginal farmers happy in Joypurhat district.

The farmers are passing busy time harvesting mustard seeds with the assistance of hired labourers from the first week of February as they will bring the same land under Boro cultivation. 

Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) office sources said the farmers of the district have already harvested 50 per cent of mustard seeds within February 12 and were expecting to harvest rest of the crops within next week.

To expedite the work, female and adolescent members of their family are joining with male members, said farmer Abdul Jalil Hossain under Khetlal upazila.

The mustard seed farmers of the district are achieving some seven to eight maunds of flesh yield from a bigha of land, he added.

In a recent visit at Pachbibi kitchen market the correspondent found each maund of raw mustard seeds is being sold at Tk 2,000 to 2,200 in the retail market while Tk 1,800 to 1,900 in the wholesale markets.

On the other hand, the dry seeds are being sold at Tk 2,400 to 3,000, according to quality and variety in the region.

"The price will rise from next month if the weather condition remains favourable," said wholesaler Samsul Alom under Kalai upazila of the district.

"I have cultivated high yield mustard seed on three bighas of land spending Tk 21,000 aiming financially self-reliant," said farmer Anowar Hossain under Sadar upazila. He also said, "I have harvested all of the crops and achieve some 25 maunds of yield."

Sub-assistance agriculture officer Azizur Rahman said, the farmers of Joypurhat district mostly depend on mustard cultivation every season.  The farmers were given all sort of necessary agro-input during sowing of seeds, he again said.

DAE officials said organic fertiliser as well as conducive weather has boosted the production of mustard seed at this peak hour.

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