Seeds of success: how Bangladeshi farmers are making a mark with mustard

Sohel Mia of Fulbaria Upazila in Mymensingh has made a significant profit by cultivating mustard. His production cost per maund (1 maund = 37.32 kg) is Tk 1,200, and he sold per maund for Tk 3,000 last year. Even though the price has decreased, he still made a profit of Tk 1,300. That means he earned more than as much profit as his expenses.

This income is an entirely new source for Sohel. Previously, these lands lay fallow after the paddy harvest. But instead of leaving them unused, he decided to cultivate mustard and it turned out to be quite profitable.

So, with a broad smile on his face, he enjoys twice the profit on his investment. He has even managed to save 11 maunds of seeds after selling 72 maunds of mustard.

This new cultivation by Sohel is part of an ambitious plan of the Department of Agricultural Extension. To decrease the cost of cooking oil imports and boost local production, the department is aiming to increase the production of oilseeds like mustard by 40 percent as part of a strategic scheme.

Apart from mustard, various types of oilseeds such as soybean, sunflower, sesame, and almond are also grown in the country. Although there is potential for oil extraction from rice husks, it has not been tapped effectively just yet.

However, both the area under cultivation and production have doubled due to mustard cultivation, bringing more profits to the farmers. In the land left after harvesting paddy, farmers are now cultivating two new varieties of mustard.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, mustard production in Bangladesh has doubled in the last two years. Sohel's profit is higher than that in other areas economically.

However, in the southern part of the country, where the production of oilseeds like sunflower and soybean is higher, mustard is not being cultivated.

The goal is to increase production and save foreign currency.

In the fiscal year 2020-21, the cost of importing edible oil was about $1.85 billion, which was almost equivalent to Tk 160 billion at that time. Due to price increases in the global market, it decreased by $2.89 billion in the next two years. Due to the depreciation of the currency, it was more than Tk 300 billion.

In 2020, the price of every litre of soybean oil in the country ranged from Tk 80 to 90, but in the next two years, it went past Tk 200. However, it has decreased slightly now.

The price of mustard oil also rises along with soybean oil, affecting its demand. Currently, in the retail market, soybean oil is being sold at Tk 163 per litre, while mustard oil is selling at Tk 260.

Former agriculture secretary Sayedul Islam said, "Our ancestors used locally produced oil, including mustard oil, to prepare food. Gradually, dependency on imported soybean oil and palm oil has increased.

"However, it has been observed that locally produced oil is healthier," he added, "so, we want to increase oilseed production towards self-sufficiency."

The government has embraced an ambitious scheme to increase the domestic production of oilseeds and increase the share of local blending in cooking oil from 12 percent to 40 percent.

In 2022, about 300,000 tonnes of oil were produced from mustard, sesame, and sunflower seeds. The Department of Agricultural Extension aims to increase domestic production to 1.2 million tonnes.

MUSTARD HOLDS THE KEY TO SUCCESS

In 2020, oilseeds were grown on 860,000 hectares of land nationwide, with mustard covering 610,000 hectares.

Targets have been set to expand cultivation to 1.6 million hectares in the fiscal year 2023-2024 and 2.3 million hectares in the following fiscal year.

At the end of the second year of the three-year plan, the Ministry of Agriculture reported a 62 percent increase in land under cultivation. However, mustard cultivation saw a 100 percent increase, rising from 850,000 hectares to 1.4 million hectares. This represents a doubling of mustard cultivation area within two years.

The Department of Agricultural Extension anticipates mustard production to rise from 875,000 tonnes to around 1.75 million tonnes over the same two-year period.

LIMITED SUCCESS WITH OTHER OILSEEDS

However, there is disappointing news regarding soybean cultivation and production.

The cultivated area has seen a slight increase, expanding by 441 hectares from the initial 86,039 hectares, while production is expected to increase by 2,500 tonnes from the current 154,956 tonnes.

Sunflower cultivation has seen limited growth, with production expected to slightly increase from approximately 28,000 tonnes to around 32,000 tonnes.

On a positive note, sesame production is projected to surpass 3,000 tonnes this year, up from 2,500 tonnes last year.

Peanut cultivation, however, has increased from 87,000 hectares to 96,000 hectares. Production is also anticipated to rise from 167,000 tonnes to 193,000 tonnes this year.

Overall, oil seed production other than mustard in the 2022-2023 fiscal year was just over 1.5 million tonnes, and it is expected to exceed 2.1 million tonnes, representing a nearly 50 percent increase.

Wahida Akter, the secretary at the agriculture ministry, told bdnews24.com, "Our goal is to utilise previously uncultivated land. Sunflower cultivation is being promoted in saline lands of Bhola, Noakhali, and Khulna."

Former agriculture secretaries suggest prioritising sunflower, soybean, and rice bran or rice husk oil to meet 40 percent of the demand more easily.

EXPLORING MUSTARD'S SUCCESS

Agriculture Secretary Wahida told bdnews24.com that farmers were initially enthusiastic about cultivating mustard due to rising prices.

Despite the subsequent decrease in mustard and mustard oil prices, efforts are being made to achieve the target by offering various incentives and utilising fallow land.

However, she mentioned a slight decrease in potato and onion production due to increased mustard cultivation.

The inclination of farmers towards mustard was evident in the Telbil area of Fulbaria Upazila in Mymensingh.

Mustard was cultivated on 162 hectares of land, with some farmers receiving seeds and fertilisers from the agriculture office as incentives.

Besides incentives, farmers found significant profits.

For instance, farmer Sohel Mia achieved a yield of 50 to 52 kg per katha (1 katha = 0.012 hectare) of land, with a production cost of Tk 1,200 per maund and a selling price of Tk 2,500 per maund, resulting in a double return from investment.

This newfound income from mustard cultivation has turned previously vacant lands into profitable ventures, highlighting the benefits of growing mustard over leaving land idle.

The farmer also mentioned that the preference for edible oil has shifted due to the increase in mustard production.

He said, "Nowadays, everyone is used to consuming mustard oil instead of other cooking oils."

"I also extracted mustard this time and obtained 16 litres of oil from one maund. We use it ourselves and also share it with our relatives. The production cost per litre is approximately Tk 160, but it is sold for Tk 170 in the market."

Nasrin Akter Banu, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension's Mymensingh unit, told bdnews24.com: "We have managed to expand mustard cultivation from 9,025 hectares to 26,580 hectares compared to last year."

"This time, we targeted fallow land after the Ropa Aman (transplanted rice) season. Consequently, the cultivation of other crops or vegetables did not have to be sacrificed. The BARI-14 and Bina-9 mustard seed varieties have shown good yields, with crops ready for harvest in 80 to 85 days."

The official said they aim to increase mustard cultivation to 41,500 hectares of land next year.

Mohammad Dulal Uddin, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension at Tangail, highlighted the three-month gap between the Ropa Aman and Boro seasons, during which mustard cultivation is encouraged.

"Each of the 35,400 farmers in the district received one kg of mustard seeds and 20 kg of fertiliser to promote cultivation," he mentioned.

This initiative has yielded positive results, with the mustard cultivation area increasing from 58,000 hectares last year to 81,540 hectares this year, producing 108,285 tonnes.

Agriculturist Dulal noted, "Last year, mustard was sold at Tk 3,500 per maund. This year, prices fluctuate between Tk 2,500 and Tk 3,000."

Despite the price decrease, farmers are still making profits, Dulal said, adding that it costs Tk 3,500 to Tk 4,000 to cultivate one Bigha (1 Bigha = 0.25 hectare) of land, yielding 5 to 6 maunds if the harvest is good, resulting in significant profits."

SOUTHERN REGIONS FACE LESS SUCCESS

In the southern region of the country, instead of mustard, there is a focus on cultivating soybean, almond, and sunflower oilseeds. However, farmers are less interested in these oilseeds because of low prices.

Md Hasan Warisul Kabir, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Bhola, noted a slight decrease in mustard cultivation this year.

Highlighting the successful cultivation of sunflower oil, he said, "Farmers extract oil from the seeds for personal use. Locally, sunflower oil is sold at Tk 150 to Tk 200 per litre."

'BOOST SUNFLOWER, RICE HUSK OIL SUPPLY'

Anwar Faruk, a former agriculture secretary, told bdnews24.com that efforts to increase the domestic mustard supply were hampered by a shortage of rapidly maturing seeds.

Now that suitable seeds are available, he said, the planting window has shortened, leading more farmers to engage in mustard cultivation.

However, according to Faruk, despite increased cultivation, the consumption of mustard oil has declined. He argued that meeting 40 percent of the demand using mustard seeds alone is unrealistic and emphasised enhancing the supply of sunflower and rice bran oil.

Faruk pointed out that the main barrier to sunflower cultivation is the lack of sufficient factories, which leads to farmers receiving low prices. Establishing large factories based on current production levels is also impractical since they would remain idle for most of the year.

The former senior civil servant stressed the need for coordinated efforts to increase rice husk oil production, asserting that with concerted initiatives, the domestic supply could eventually satisfy 40 percent of the demand.