Scarcity of potato seeds hits Rangpur farmers

RANGPUR, Nov 30: A severe crisis of quality potato seeds prevailing across Rangpur region
has appeared to be a grave concern for the farmers in the current season.
Cultivators are facing serious difficulties due to unavailability of quality seeds at the time when they usually remain busy sowing fields with potato.
In addition to seed scarcity, higher price of potato seeds has also made the growers disappointed, sources said.
Sources at the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Rangpur said the department has set a target to bring a total of 101,576 hectares of land under potato farming in five districts of the region during the current season. Last year, the target was 100,602 hectares of land.
The five districts are: Rangpur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari and Gaibandha. Last year's good price of potato encouraged the growers to expand its cultivation area this season, but exorbitant price of potato seeds frustrated the growers, the sources added.
The sources said on account of insufficient supply of quality potato seeds by Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), seed crisis has been prevailing across the region.
BADC has supplied only 2,797.32 tonnes of potato seeds against the total demand of 1, 67,000 tonnes in the region, the sources further said.
However, farmers said they prefer BADC seeds because those are disease-free and yield is satisfactory.
Some farmers told The Financial Express they have already sown seeds which they had bought from market, but are now doubtful about the productivity of those seeds. It is alleged, as supply of quality seeds is scanty, many growers are purchasing seed potato at excessive prices from different seed producers including NGOs and private companies. As a result, they are being deceived with substandard and low quality seeds.
Meanwhile, farmers alleged that they have to pay extra amount of money for buying potato seeds this season that will increase its production cost significantly.
Growers said last year they bought per kg potato seed at Tk60 to Tk 70. But this year, each kg potato seed is being sold at Tk75 to Tk 140, depending on varieties.
One kg seed potato of BADC is sold at Tk65 this year against its rate of Tk55 last year.
Growers alleged that as middlemen are controlling the situation they are compelled to buy the potato seeds supplied by BADC at almost double rate.
Talking to The Financial Express, a good number of growers blamed the syndicates created by a section of unscrupulous traders for the price hike of potato seeds by creating artificial crisis.
Consequently, they are being compelled to collect potato seeds at a higher rate. Growers alleged some dishonest traders have stored seed potato in order to earn windfall profit.
It is learnt, potato cultivation has increased by more than 9, 202 hectares of land in five districts of Rangpur agriculture region in last six years. On the contrary, the allocation of seeds has decreased to about 1, 428.759 tonnes.
According to Cold Storage Owners, local traders, farmers and BADC sources, more than 180,000 tonnes of potato seeds are required in Rangpur region.
But BADC can supply only 5,500 to 6,000 tonnes. Although the big farmers keep the potato seeds for planting in their own collection, the growers have to collect 70 to 80 per cent of the seeds from traders.
Under the present circumstance, the cultivators have urged the authorities concerned to increase the allocation of quality potato seeds of BADC to boost its production in the region.
Additional director of Rangpur DAE Obaidur Rahman Mandal however said due to the good price in market, many growers are showing interest in potato cultivation.
For this reason, cultivation the popular vegetable may go beyond the target this season. Consequently, owing to growing demand and scarcity of potato seeds, their prices have marked rise, he added.
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