Quality seed crisis worries potato growers in N-dists

Acute crisis of quality seeds in the ongoing potato cultivation season has become a cause of concern for the potato growers in eight northern districts under Rangpur region as they are not getting expected production.

Potato growers in the region are worried as Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) could not supply sufficient quantity of the seeds in the face of their growing demand.

According to Rangpur regional office of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) the demand for potato seeds in eight northern districts is 2.5 lakh tonnes this year but BADC supplied only 5,000 tonnes.

Beside, farmers produced about 30 percent seeds of the total demand while the rest are purchased from the local markets.

Of the total demand, about 78,000 tonnes of potatoes seeds are required in Rangpur district but BADC could supply only 800 tonnes.

Ruhul Amin, potato grower in Belgangi village in Dinajpur Sadar upazila, said although the seeds available in the local markets are too expensive, they get merely half of their expected production.

"Although there is a huge demand for seeds produced by the BADC for its quality, the corporation cannot even meet half of the total demand," said Rafiqul Islam of Kaunia upazila of Rangpur.

Farmers in the region urged the government to rearrange BADC's activities properly so that it can produce the required quantity as per the growers' demand.

Several farmers alleged that they are paying additional Tk 20 for buying each kilogram of potato seeds this year as seeds available in the local markets are their only alternative source.

Farmer Bashir Uddin in Dinajpur Sadar upazila said, "All the seeds available in the local markets are packed in good-looking packets to attract the farmers, but its quality is really a worry for the farmers."

An official of BADC in Rangpur said they have taken various steps to stop marketing of substandard seeds in the region.

The government is taking measures to import quality seeds from reputed countries through BADC and the farmers would get BT brinjal and disease resistant jute seeds though the corporation within the next three to four years, the official added.

Hamidur Rahman, director of DAE in Rangpur, acknowledged the crisis of quality seeds in the Rangpur region, adding that they are trying to resolve the crisis in a short time.