Asadullah Masum, Kapasia (Gazipur)

Wherever I look, there is only a festival of turmeric. It is like a yellow carpet of nature. As soon as the morning mist is wet with dew and the sun shines, the buzz of honey from bees begins. It increases the joy and happiness of nature lovers. Bees are running from one flower to another to collect honey.

In Kapasia of Gazipur, Durgapur, Chandpur Targaon, Barishab, Rayed, Tok Union and other villages of the upazila, bee farmers from different parts of the country have been coming from different parts of the country to collect honey along with mustard cultivation during the mustard season for more than a decade. The bumper mustard yield brings joy to the eyes of farmers.

Mustard cultivation is done in the middle of the boro cultivation after the planting of Aman and the farmers of this upazila are happy with the good harvest this year. According to the Upazila Agriculture Office, farmers have cultivated mustard on about 450 hectares of land this season, which is three times more than two years ago. Among the mustard varieties, Bari-14, 17, 18, 19, Bina-9, have been cultivated. Farmers have cultivated the high-yielding Bari-14 variety of mustard more. In addition to the high yield, the Bari-14 variety of mustard is known to have much higher disease resistance.

Meanwhile, farmers are very happy with the bumper mustard yield this time across this vast field in the Barigaon region of Durgapur, which is known as a storehouse of grain. Organic fertilizer is made from mustard leaves and the fertility of the land increases. Mustard cultivation is appreciated by farmers as it requires less fertilizer and pesticides during the cultivation of the next crop, Iri and Boro. The mustard oil produced in the area is meeting the needs of this region and is being supplied to different parts of the country, making a special contribution to the economy.

A: Baten, a farmer from Barigaon village, said that this time there has been a bumper mustard harvest. The market price of mustard in advance is also high. So, if there is no natural disaster, he will be able to harvest the expected mustard harvest.

Mohammad Bachchu Mia, a farmer from Gosaingaon village, said that he has a bumper mustard harvest on a few bighas of land. The farmers are very happy as the current market price is 2200 to 2500 taka. There was no natural disaster this season, so the harvest has been good. The mustard fields are usually full of flowers for about a month and a half. As long as the flowers are there, honey collection continues. Honey is collected a maximum of three times during the mustard cultivation season.

Kapasia Upazila Agriculture Officer Suman Kumar Basak said that the Agriculture Department provides necessary advice and assistance at the field level in mustard cultivation. This time, the farmers are getting a very good harvest. If gypsum fertilizer is used in the mustard crop with irrigation, the yield will increase manifold.