Shimul potato cultivation gaining popularity in Sherpur
Friday, 5 November 2010
SHERPUR, Nov 4 (UNB): Cultivation of high yielding 'Shimul' variety potato is gaining popularity here due to its less production cost and high price in the local market.
Sources said many farmers have become self-reliant by cultivating the variety which grows abundantly in hill areas.
Rangmala Risil, resident of hilly Chukchuki village of Sribordi Upazila, brought her 25 decimal of land under potato farming and it has changed her fate within a span of only four years.
"I feel hesitated working as domestic help in others' houses. I suffered a lot due to ill treatment of different people", she said.
The woman said that she went for the cultivation on 2.50 acres of land after borrowing Tk 1,500 from her maternal aunt. In the beginning year, she earned a profit of Tk 10,000 after repaying the loan.
In the current year, she brought 4.50 acres of land under farming. She maintains her family, including prosecution of studies of her two children, from the earning of potato farming, she said.
Like the woman, other people of nearby Rangajan village also started the 'Shimul' potato farming and getting windfall profit.
Saplings for such potato need to be planted in the Bangla months of Chaitra-Boishakh. Bumper production can be achieved with the use of less fertilizer. The time of harvesting is Ashwin and Kartik. No harm is done to the plants due to drought or excess rainfall. So, large number of farmers, including aboriginals, are tending to potato farming.
The farmers said such variety of potato had great demand in the local area earlier. Now its demand spread to other parts of the country, including the capital.
Farmers said that there will be revolution in 'Shimul' potato farming in the Garo hill areas in future if they get financial assistance from the government and NGOs.
A new dimension will be added to local agri sector, they said. Upazila agriculture officer FM Mobarak Ali said farming of 'Shimul' potato on hilly soil bring more output than that of low lying and plain lands.
About 700 acres of land in hilly 13/14 villages have been brought under cultivation of 'Shimul' potato this year, said the official.
Sources said many farmers have become self-reliant by cultivating the variety which grows abundantly in hill areas.
Rangmala Risil, resident of hilly Chukchuki village of Sribordi Upazila, brought her 25 decimal of land under potato farming and it has changed her fate within a span of only four years.
"I feel hesitated working as domestic help in others' houses. I suffered a lot due to ill treatment of different people", she said.
The woman said that she went for the cultivation on 2.50 acres of land after borrowing Tk 1,500 from her maternal aunt. In the beginning year, she earned a profit of Tk 10,000 after repaying the loan.
In the current year, she brought 4.50 acres of land under farming. She maintains her family, including prosecution of studies of her two children, from the earning of potato farming, she said.
Like the woman, other people of nearby Rangajan village also started the 'Shimul' potato farming and getting windfall profit.
Saplings for such potato need to be planted in the Bangla months of Chaitra-Boishakh. Bumper production can be achieved with the use of less fertilizer. The time of harvesting is Ashwin and Kartik. No harm is done to the plants due to drought or excess rainfall. So, large number of farmers, including aboriginals, are tending to potato farming.
The farmers said such variety of potato had great demand in the local area earlier. Now its demand spread to other parts of the country, including the capital.
Farmers said that there will be revolution in 'Shimul' potato farming in the Garo hill areas in future if they get financial assistance from the government and NGOs.
A new dimension will be added to local agri sector, they said. Upazila agriculture officer FM Mobarak Ali said farming of 'Shimul' potato on hilly soil bring more output than that of low lying and plain lands.
About 700 acres of land in hilly 13/14 villages have been brought under cultivation of 'Shimul' potato this year, said the official.