RAJSHAHI, Jan 18, 2023 (BSS) - Honey collection in mustard fields has made many farmers in the region, including its vast Barind tract, financially solvent side by side with changing their fortunes and helping them earn more money to lead a happy and prosperous life.

 Many of the farmers were seen passing busy times with honey harvesting and trading commercially during the flowering stage of mustard plants.

 Shasthi Paharia, 48, a farmer of Kashini Gangarampur village under Charghat Upazila, has been harvesting honey for 12 years through rearing native bee species 'serena' in 15 boxes.

 Shasthi said both demand and market price of honey of native bee species are comparatively high.

 He is hopeful of selling 120 kilograms of honey valued around Taka 45,000 with net profit of Taka 30,000 this year.

 Like previous years, Ataur Rahman, another farmer of Namajgram village under Godagari upazila, remains involved in honey harvesting in mustard fields since 2000.

Dulal Hossain, a farmer of Purba Bamnal village under Godagari Upazila, said he collects 25 kilograms of honey from each of the boxes per month on an average.

 He earned more than Taka six lakh every winter season by selling the honey collected from the mustard fields, he said.

 "I've received mustard seed, fertilizer, honeybee, training and digital honey-collecting box, tools and wares as support from the government," Hossain said.

 This government assistance inspired him to collect honey to a greater extent, he added.

 Like him, many other farmers are engaged in harvesting honey after getting support from the government and leveraging the existing natural resources.

 Sub Assistant Agriculture Officer Atanu Sarker told BSS that a group of farmers was given the support in each union of the region to promote the honey collection.
 
As honey harvesting is lucrative in terms of economic value, the number of honey harvesters from mustard fields is increasing gradually, locals said.

 Honey bee rearing in mustard farming fields is very much helpful for proper pollination of the cash crop. So, the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) always inspires and motivates the farmers to rear honey bees after adopting special projects.

 DAE Deputy Director Mozder Hossain said honey hunting is being expanded to many new areas every year contributing a lot towards employment generation side by side with boosting honey production.

 Meanwhile, around 3.70 lakh tonnes of mustard yield are expected to be harvested from around 2.48 lakh hectares of lands in all eight districts under Rajshahi division during the current Rabi season.

 The DAE has set a target of producing 1.70 lakh tonnes of mustard from 1.10 lakh hectares of land in four districts of Rajshahi Agricultural Zone, while another 2.01 lakh tonnes from 1.37 lakh hectares of land in four other districts of Bogura Agricultural Zone.