Farmers hope for bumper production of mustard crop in Srinagar

Srinagar, April 23 (ANI): Farmers in Srinagar are hoping for a bumper production of mustard crop production this year in the wake of favourable climatic conditions and timely rain in the winter season.

A farmer, Mohammed Asla said, "If you see these mustard fields, they look beautiful at this time. Winter prevails here for six months and during that time no work takes place because of snowfall. We started working after six months and this is the first produce of Kashmir after winters. Healthy snow fall occurred this time, there was sufficient water for the fields and that is why the produce was good, the farmers are happy as the produce has come up really nice."

The fields of these farmers are covered under snow during most of the winters.

The mustard oil crop is of a great importance to farmers, as it is the first crop of the season after six months of winters.

Talking about the facilities provided by the state government to the farmers, Director of Agriculture Kashmir, Mushtaq Ahmad Shah said mustard growers get thirty three percent as to grow this crop.

"We have eighty six thousand hectares of land under mustard cultivation. We give thirty three percent of subsidies on high yielding variety of mustard crop to farmers. This year we have given twelve hundred quintals to the farmers for which we have given eight hundred thousand of subsidy to them," said Shah.

The mustard crop is sown in the months of September and October. As the temperatures rises after winter, the rapeseed-mustard crop blossoms and is harvested towards the end of May.

According to officials of the agriculture department the production of the mustard oil crop is likely to double this year.

Hordes of tourists visiting the Kashmir valley are fascinated by mustard fields as the mustard crop turns the picturesque Kashmir Valley into a golden colour.

India, China, Canada, Poland, France and Pakistan are major rapeseed-mustard growing countries. India, according to a survey, has nearly 4.5 million hectares under mustard production. (ANI)

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