Potato growers face acute crisis of quality seeds in N dists
Friday, 13 November 2009
Our Correspondent
RANGPUR, Nov 12: Potato growers of greater Rangpur and Dinajpur districts are frustrated as they are facing acute crisis of quality potato seeds at the very onset of the cultivation season.
According to sources, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) has supplied only 2,100 tonnes of potato seeds against the demand of nearly 2,25,960 tonnes in the region, which is less than one per cent of the demand in the peak season.
Farmers are being cheated with low quality seeds and high prices, sources said.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources said at least 1,50,640 hectares were brought under potato cultivation in Rangpur, Dinajpur, Kurigram, Nilphamari, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Thakurgaon and Panchagarh districts, which was 10,000 hectres more than that of the previous year.
BADC sources said that they have decided to sell 25 per cent of potato seeds directly to the farmers and 75 per cent through some 550 dealers in the region this year.
But in most cases, farmers cannot afford to buy the seeds due to the rigid condition set by BADC that a farmer would have to purchase at least 520 kg of seed costing between Tk 16,500 and Tk 20,000, the sources added.
'A' grade potato seeds are being sold at Tk 38 per kg and 'B' grade at Tk 32 this year.
The farmers said potato seeds will ultimately land in the hands of dealers and traders as they get advance orders from big farmers or seed companies to sell their allotted seeds at a higher price.
BADC Deputy Director (seed marketing department in Rangpur region) Faruk Zahedul Haq said that the farmers could collect the rest of the seeds from other sources like NGOs and private firms.
While visiting the seed markets at Mithapukur, Badorganj and Taraganj upazilas of Rangpur district, this correspondent found low quality seeds, mostly affected by virus, were being sold.
When contacted, DAE Additional Director (regional office in Rangpur) Shakwat Hossain said, "We are trying to teach the farmers how to protect their potato crop to save them from deception."
RANGPUR, Nov 12: Potato growers of greater Rangpur and Dinajpur districts are frustrated as they are facing acute crisis of quality potato seeds at the very onset of the cultivation season.
According to sources, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) has supplied only 2,100 tonnes of potato seeds against the demand of nearly 2,25,960 tonnes in the region, which is less than one per cent of the demand in the peak season.
Farmers are being cheated with low quality seeds and high prices, sources said.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources said at least 1,50,640 hectares were brought under potato cultivation in Rangpur, Dinajpur, Kurigram, Nilphamari, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Thakurgaon and Panchagarh districts, which was 10,000 hectres more than that of the previous year.
BADC sources said that they have decided to sell 25 per cent of potato seeds directly to the farmers and 75 per cent through some 550 dealers in the region this year.
But in most cases, farmers cannot afford to buy the seeds due to the rigid condition set by BADC that a farmer would have to purchase at least 520 kg of seed costing between Tk 16,500 and Tk 20,000, the sources added.
'A' grade potato seeds are being sold at Tk 38 per kg and 'B' grade at Tk 32 this year.
The farmers said potato seeds will ultimately land in the hands of dealers and traders as they get advance orders from big farmers or seed companies to sell their allotted seeds at a higher price.
BADC Deputy Director (seed marketing department in Rangpur region) Faruk Zahedul Haq said that the farmers could collect the rest of the seeds from other sources like NGOs and private firms.
While visiting the seed markets at Mithapukur, Badorganj and Taraganj upazilas of Rangpur district, this correspondent found low quality seeds, mostly affected by virus, were being sold.
When contacted, DAE Additional Director (regional office in Rangpur) Shakwat Hossain said, "We are trying to teach the farmers how to protect their potato crop to save them from deception."