Farmer Md Tamjid Hossain has set a new example of success by growing Vietnamese mustard and quinoa, the superfood valued around the world, for the first time in Mohammadpur upazila of Magura. The bumper yield of the two new crops in Panighata block of the upazila's Nohata union has drawn wide interest among local farmers.

Md Tamjid Hossain, a farmer from Bejra village in Nohata union, said that out of an interest in modern farming he learned about the qualities of Vietnamese mustard on the internet, and then obtained the seed online. With advice and technical support from the agriculture office, he grew the mustard on 15 decimals of land.

"The yield of Vietnamese mustard is much better than ordinary varieties. I hope to get 5 maunds of mustard from just 15 decimals of land," Tamjid Hossain said hopefully.

Alongside the mustard, Tamjid has grown quinoa, a high-value foreign crop regarded worldwide as a superfood, on about 13 decimals of his land. He is delighted to see the crop grow so well at low cost and with little labour.

Md Emlachur Zaman, sub-assistant agriculture officer for Panighata block of Nohata union, said Tamjid Hossain is an enterprising farmer and the agriculture department has stood by his unusual initiative from the start. "We have been giving Tamjid Hossain regular advice and support. He has profited from growing the rabi season crops," he said.

Quinoa in particular is highly nutritious and beneficial for the human body, and seeing his success, others are now becoming interested in growing it. Vietnamese mustard yields more than ordinary mustard and has an economical growing period. Because quinoa contains plenty of protein, fibre and amino acids, its market value is much higher.

Those involved believe the successful cultivation of these new crops in the soil of Mohammadpur will add a new dimension to the region's farm economy in future.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.