RAJSHAHI, Dec 27 (BSS): Farmers and other officials concerned are very much hopeful about cherished potato production in the region as overall climatic condition remains favourable towards the farming since its initial stage.
With the hope of making profit like the previous season, the farmers in the current season have cultivated potato on more lands than the target fixed by the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) everywhere in eight districts under the division.
Dr Saiful Islam, Upazila agriculture officer, said the farmers are expecting better yield as there was no major natural calamity that can damage its outputs. However, the cold wave that sweeping the region for the last couple of days makes the potato growers apprehended over their farming.
Most of the growers' harvested better yields of potato in last two to three years and they also obtained expected sale proceeds in the harvesting stage. "I had sold out an 85-kg potato bag at Tk 750 to Tk 800 in previous season, said Ziarul Haque, a farmer of Baya village under Paba Upazila.
Abdur Rahim, a farmer of Bargachhi village, said both acreage and yield were boosted up in the wake of favourable climatic condition and availability of standard seed in the region.
This season, his sons along with him cultivated potato on around 150 bighas of land. "We are very much optimistic over our outcomes as the weather was absolutely supportive".
He said more potatoes are being produced than that of capacity of the cold storages in the region. In this odd situation, many farmers are compelled to sell their harvested crops in low price that is discouraged to them.
Abdur Rahim further said there is a need of enhancing the number of cold storages for betterment of the potato growers.
Potato farming has now been expanded to the dried lands in the vast Barind tract as a result of irrigation facilities promoted by the Barind Multipurpose Development Authorities (BMDA). There has been a better position in all the farming fields predicting expected yields.
The DAE has fixed a target of producing 3.05 million tonnes of potato from 0.15 million hectares of land in the eight districts during this Rabi season.
But, the optimistic farmers have brought around 0.16 million hectares of land under potato farming from where more than 3.35 million tonnes are expected, the official sources said.
SM Nuruzzaman Mondal, additional director of the DAE, said the officials, experts and other organisations concerned have been providing necessary suggestions to the farmers to face the cold wave situation so that the growing potato fields are not affected by late bright disease.
Many of the farmers said potato farming could become more profitable if adequate preservation facilities were ensured and potato-based agro-industries are set up besides enhancing exports.
Bumper potato production expected in Rajshahi region
FE Team | Published: December 28, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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