Oil price high, area under mustard cultivation up in Bathinda

Sameer Singh

Bathinda, March 20

Area under cultivation for mustard has increased significantly in Bathinda in the past three years. Owing to health benefits of oil extracted from mustard and its remunerative price (mustard oil is being sold for Rs 200 and more in recent months) in the market has drawn many farmers from the region to adopt its cultivation.

As per records of the Agriculture Department, area under mustard cultivation has increased from around 2,000 hectares in 2020-21 to 3,000 hectares in 2021-22 in Bathinda.

Massive price rise

The rate of mustard oil has picked up in the past one year. Due to this, hoping to get better prices, more farmers have taken to cultivation of mustard in the region in past one yeart. —Agri expert

The rate of mustard oil has picked-up in the past one year. Due to this, hoping to get better prices, more farmers have taken to cultivation of mustard in the region in past one year, said an agricultural expert.

The government has fixed MSP (minimum support price) of Rs 5,050 on per quintal basis for mustard but it has been fetching a price as high as Rs 7,000 and even more in neighbouring Rajasthan and local farmers are hopeful that they would also reap rich dividends this harvest season. Mustard has been fetching remunerative prices in mandis at Haryana too.

Sukhbir Sodhi, field officer of the department, said: “Mustard cultivation in villages of Sangat, Maur, Talwandi Sabo blocks and Raman area of the district has sizable area under the cultivation as compared to other blocks where it is scattered in smaller tracts of land across different villages. With an increase of approximately 1,000 hectares (more than 2,400 acres) in just a year, the area is expected to increase at a rapid rate in the coming years too.”

Talking to The Tribune, Binder Singh, a farmer from Bandi village in Sangat block of the district, who has cultivated mustard on a whopping 22 acres of land, said: “I have cultivated mustard by following all procedures and guidelines of the Agriculture Department. I am hopeful that there will be good yield. The rate of mustard oil has increased manifold in the market and farmers have even fetched over Rs 7,000 per quintal of mustard in neighbouring Rajasthan. I’m hopeful that the price will pick up in local mandis too.”

Another farmer Gursewak Singh from Mehta village in Bathinda said: “Last year, I had cultivated mustard in 1 acre of land but this year mustard was sown in around 2.5 acres of land. The practice is quite useful for me as I get oil for domestic use as well and also use the leftover (after extracting oil) as cattle feed. Moreover, it is a healthy choice especially at a time when there are adulterated products being sold in the market.”

Dr Sanjeev Pathak, an ayurvedic doctor, said: “Mustard oil is beneficial for health. Using it for cooking purposes prevents obesity and liver and heart-related problems.”