Mustard farmers shift to sunflower farming in Bogura

BOGURA, Mar 20: Mustard farmers in the district are shifting to sunflower cultivation.
According to sources at the Department of Agriculture Extention (DAE), after being inspired by the government with incentives, they are cultivating sunflower taking it as cash crop.
Local agriculture officials said, they have been able to motivate farmers that oil is produced from sunflower seeds.
As a result, most of the mustard growers have shown their interest in cultivating sunflower, they added.
But farmers and wholesalers are deprived of fair prices as the intermediaries are purchasing sunflower seeds at cheaper prices.
Sunflower seed is profitable than mustard seed. Per kg sunflower seed is selling at Tk 60-65 whereas mustard is selling at Tk 50 per kg. Besides, sunflower production is cost effective than that of mustard.
A grower, Shah Alam in Bogura said, he purchases sunflower seeds from Chattogram, Sylhet, Bogura, Bhairab, Rajshahi, and other different areas. One Rana of Bogura re-purchases their purchased seeds at Tk 60 per kg. Later, he sells these at Tk 70 per kg.
Shah Alam said, he does not know where the mills of sunflower is. So, he sells his purchased sunflower seeds by making a profit of Tk 5 per kg.
Additional Deputy Director of the DAE Shahaduzzaman said, this year, 2,600 bighas have been brought under the sunflower cultivation in the district; of these, 2,500 bighas have been cultivated under incentives.
Each farmer of these lands got five kg seeds, 20 kg DAP, and 20 kg MOP as incentives.
A farmer in Shakharia area in Bogura said, he has fallen in disarray; hundreds of visitors are coming every day to see his sunflower fields; they are entering into the field and footing down plants.
So, he added, he is guarding his fields keeping aside other works. He is hiccupping to tackle rush of visitors.
He further said, he would cultivate mustard on the same land before. This year, he has cultivated sunflower for the first time after getting incentives.
Sunflower seed trader Shah Alamm said, if the sunflower mills are contacted, farmers and wholesalers will get good prices of sunflower seeds.
If the production of sunflower goes up, country's dependency on soya bean oil will be reduced by at least a little bit, he observed.
Sources at the DAE said, there are few small mills in Noakhali, which produce oil from sunflower seeds.
It was learnt, mills like Nobojug, Star, Mamata, Tori, and Jamuna Rajpuri at Chaumohani of Noakhali District are producing sunflower oil and marketing.
Sunflower mills are also set up in Bhola, the DAE officials informed.