Mustard production likely to increase

JHAPA: FEB. 13 – Production of mustard oilseed crop in Jhapa is set to increase this year. According to the Agriculture Knowledge Center, Jhapa, the production is expected to be higher than in the past due to the expansion of mustard farming area.

Mustard farming has been expanded in 15 municipalities of the district. Among them, farmers of Haldibari, Kachankawal, Mechinagar, Kankai, Damak and Gauradaha are more attracted towards mustard oilseed farming.

Jhapa is considered to be a fertile land for mustard cultivation in terms of climate. The use of pure edible oil has increased and hence commercial cultivation of mustard oilseed is also on the rise.

Gopal Tisimna of Mechinagar-14 has been cultivating mustard commercially for the past two years. Before that he used to buy oil from the market. He said that now he has been able to consume pure oil and earn a decent income after starting his own farming.

Shalikram Bhattarai, an agronomist at Krishi Gyan Kendra Jhapa, said that mustard was cultivated in an area of 6,000 hectares in the district in the fiscal year 2078/79 BS. He said that the attraction of farmers in mustard seed production has been increasing in the district for the last four years.

According to him, some financial cooperatives in the district have recently started cultivating mustard commercially. To encourage them, Agriculture Knowledge Center Jhapa has declared mustard Block area.

The center has also provided a grant of Rs. 2.5 million to the cooperatives in Haldibari village municipality for two years.

Bhattarai said that it was still necessary for the government to attract farmers by bringing additional incentive programs to make Jhapa self-reliant in mustard production.