Sunsari's mustard farmers shift to maize cultivation

By Baburam Karki,Barahakshetra, Dec. 30: Mustard cultivation has been declining in Sunsari district over the past few years. Many farmers previously growing mustard have now started growing maize, leading to the decline in mustard production.  

As maize farming is more profitable than mustard, farmers have started cultivating maize by reducing mustard cultivation.

According to Prabin Lal Shrestha, information officer at the Agricultural Knowledge Centre, Sunsari, mustard cultivation has decreased in the district this year because more farmers are interested in maize cultivation than mustard cultivation. 

As mustard is a temperate climate crop, it cannot tolerate extreme cold and fog. Excessive cold and fog often lead to a decrease in its production. 

Although mustard contains 40 to 45 per cent oil, the number of farmers cultivating mustard has been decreasing in the district as problems such as diseases and pests have started appearing in mustard plants due to climate change. 

Sitaram Chandrabanshi, a farmer from Prakashpur, said that due to the decrease in production, farmers started cultivating maize instead of mustard.

The number of farmers cultivating mustard in Sunsari, which is considered to have a good climate for mustard production, is decreasing.  

Mustard has been cultivated only on 9,170 hectares of land in Sunsari this year while it was cultivated in 9,270 hectares of land last year.

According to Shrestha, the number of farmers cultivating mustard this year has decreased compared to last year.

Farmers have started cultivating maize instead of other winter crops, said Nir Bahadur Rai, an agricultural technician at the Agriculture Development Branch of the Barahakshetra Municipality. 

He said that the number of farmers cultivating mustard has decreased in the municipality this year. The mustard is cultivated in an area of 1,700 hectares of land in the Barahakshetra Municipality.

Farmers have been cultivating maize commercially in Inaruwa, Barahakshetra and Ramdhuni municipalities and Bhokraha Narsingh, Haninagar, Koshi, Dewanganj, Barju and Gadhi rural municipalities of the district. 

Farmers have been producing maize from 240 kgs to 480 kgs per kattha.

According to the latest statistics, farmers cultivated maize in an area of 10,641 hectares in the district and produced 83,120 metric tonnes of maize, said Shrestha.

The Centre has estimated that maize will be cultivated in more than 11,000 hectares.