Potato cultivation sees big boost in Rangpur region

Ignoring advice of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) not to cultivate potato in large scale, farmers in the greater Rangpur region become too enthusiastic to cultivate the popular tuber crop in large areas with the hope of getting fair prices as people who have now opted to stay at home to steer clear of the contagious coronavirus are consuming it a lot.

The high prices of potato have encouraged farmers to bring more land under the crop cultivation, said wholesaler of Nilphamari Boro Bazar Belal Hossain, adding that the retail price of potato is now at Tk 45 to Tk 35 per kg, which was Tk 20 to Tk 18 a kg last year.

Md Moniruzzaman, additional director (in-charge) of DAE in Rangpur region, said there is a trend among farmers to cultivate the crop in large scale for which they got high prices in the last sowing season. This is going to happen in potato farming this season.

"We have a bitter experience in the past that whenever farmers grow crop in excessive, price sees fall as supply is more than the demand. Due to this, we suggest the farmers this year not to bring large areas under potato cultivation but they seemed much more enthusiastic," said the additional director (AD).

According to the DAE in Rangpur region, 93.4 thousand hectares of land in Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari have been brought under potato cultivation with a target to produce 23.68 lack tonnes of potato. It is mentionable that the DAE brought 93.7 thousand hectares of land under potato cultivation last year.

The potato farmers in the region have already completed 26% cultivation this time which was 20% last year.

Farmer Shamim Hossain Babu of Uttar Durakuti village in Nilphamari's Kishoreganj upazila said last year, he cultivated potato on18 bighas of land but this year, he has brought 23 bighas of land under potato cultivation with the hope of getting good prices as he earned a good profit by selling the vegetable last season.

Farmers Kasiruddin and Jaman Ali of Taraganj upazila in Rangpur and Hatem Ali and Khitish Chandra of Nilphamari Sadar upazila said although the production cost has increased much, they are likely to cultivate in larger area with the hope of getting fair prices like previous year. 

Sreedam Das, president of Nilphamari district unit Krishak Samity, said Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) has supplied quality seeds but it is too insufficient to meet need and farmers have to pay more as it sets price of per kg of seed at Tk 47 to Tk 33.

Md Asaduzzaman, deputy director of marketing department, BADC in Rangpur, said they have supplied around 3,772 tonnes of potato seeds this year.