Mustard season is coming: how beekeepers and farmers both gain

29 October 2026 · 2 min read · Krishoker Thikana desk

As Aman rice is harvested, mustard goes into the fields, and from late autumn into January much of the country turns yellow. For beekeepers it is the most important season of the year: most of Bangladesh's honey comes from mustard.

What one district earned

In January 2025, The Financial Express reported from Naogaon, where mustard covered 60,100 hectares. 82 beekeepers had placed 8,300 bee boxes in the fields and expected about 270 tonnes of honey. At the agriculture department's price of Tk 400 a kg, that is worth about Tk 10.8 crore.

Why farmers should welcome the boxes

Bees moving between flowers pollinate the mustard, and more pods set seed. A local agriculture officer in Naogaon said fields with bees yield 30 to 35 percent more; earlier national estimates were lower, at around 15 percent. Either way, the bees work for the farmer for free.

The one thing that goes wrong: spraying

Insecticide sprayed while the mustard is in flower kills bees in the field and the hive. A short conversation before the season prevents most of the damage.

• Farmers: tell the beekeeper before you spray, and spray in the late afternoon or evening, when bees have gone home.
• Ask the agriculture office which products are least harmful to bees, and spray only when pests actually need it.
• Beekeepers: agree the box sites and the spraying plan with the landowner before you unload, and leave a phone number on the boxes.
• Keep boxes away from paths and homes, and give children a wide berth.

Starting out

Beekeeping needs little land, but it needs training. Ask the Upazila Agriculture Office or BSCIC about courses before buying boxes, and start with a few colonies. Store honey in clean, dry, covered containers; good-quality honey sells for more.

The Bees page of this site lists training bodies, beekeepers' associations and international beekeeping organisations.