Five northern dists achieve record potato production

Farmers are happy after getting an all-time record production of over 2.32 million tonnes of potato and fair price this season and its trade is getting momentum now in Rangpur agriculture zone, reports BSS.

Officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said farmers got quality seed, fertilisers and all assistance timely from officials of DAE and other agriculture related departments and organisations to achieve super bumper potato production.

The DAE had fixed a target of producing 1.92 million tonnes of potato from 91,620 hectares of land for all five districts during this current 2018-2018 Rabi seasons in the region.

"However, farmers had finally brought 93,024 hectares of land under potato cultivation exceeding the fixed cultivation target by 1,404 hectares this season," Horticulture specialist of DAE at its regional office Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam said.

Farmers have finally produced 2.32 million tonnes of potato with an average yield rate of 24.94 tonnes per hectare and higher by 0.39 million tonnes or 20.58 per cent than the fixed production target of 1.92 million tonnes this season.

A number of farmers expressed happiness over the super bumper potato production and prevailing market price of the commodity everywhere in the region now.

Farmer Moazzem Hossain of village Darshona and Ariful Haque of village Najirdigar in Rangpur Sadar said they cultivated different varieties of potato on their two and four acres of land respectively and got excellent production this season.

Similarly, farmers Barun Kumar, Liyakat Ali, Mofizar Rahman, Abdul Kuddus and Hafizur Rahman of different villages in Badarganj and Mithapukur upazilas here said they had already completed harvest of cultivated potato and got bumper output.

President of Rangpur District Potato Growers' Association Khwaja Ahmed said the farmers have got excellent production of potato this year and the prevailing market price is still reaming fair.

"The farmers are selling each sack containing 84 kgs of 'Diamond', 'Cardinal', 'Raja' and 'Astarisk' varieties of potato at rates between Tk 800 and Tk 850 in the local markets," Khwaja said.