Mustard Production Rises in Dang as Farmers Increase Cultivation Area

Dang. Mustard production has increased in this district recently. The area under cultivation and production are rising due to growing farmer interest in mustard farming, said Navaraj Bhandari, Chief of the Agriculture Knowledge Center, noting that Dang's mustard is a recognized product. He stated that the demand for mustard oil from the district is high in other districts.

He mentioned that the demand for mustard from here is high in districts including Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan, and Nepalgunj. "Demand for Dang's mustard from outside districts has been high since the beginning," Chief Bhandari said. He added that farmer attraction will continue to grow if sales are smooth. "The number of farmers and the area increased because no farmer faced market problems for the produced mustard," he said.

The increase in area and production aligns with the mustard zone under the National Agricultural Modernization Project Implementation Unit, Dang. In the fiscal year 2079-80, 1,932 metric tons of mustard were produced from 1,200 hectares under the mustard zone, informed Surya Jyoti KC, a technical assistant at the Mustard Zone. In FY 2080-81, 2,004 metric tons of mustard were produced from 1,200 hectares cultivated with mustard.

In FY 2081-82, 2,123.82 metric tons were produced from 1,242 hectares of mustard cultivation. In FY 2082-83, 2,198.19 metric tons were produced from 1,278.02 hectares. The productivity stands at 1.72 per hectare. Technical Assistant KC from the project stated that the Mustard Zone provides farmers with technical support, seeds, and technological assistance. The Mustard Zone is operational in Dangisharan, Shantinagar, Babai Rural Municipalities, and some wards of Tulsipur Sub-Metropolitan City in the western region. Farmers cultivating mustard are also expanding their area.

Farmers reported selling mustard at NPR 14,000 per quintal. KC mentioned that improved varieties of mustard are being cultivated in the western region. The Mustard Zone provides farmers with a 50 percent subsidy on seeds, as well as technical and technological support.

Since mustard cultivation is a fast-yielding crop, farmers who traditionally grow wheat are also becoming attracted to mustard farming. The Agriculture Knowledge Center reported that Shantinagar Rural Municipality, Babai Rural Municipality, and Dangisharan Rural Municipality have the highest number of farmers engaged in commercial mustard cultivation in the district.