Early potato brings high profit to farmers

Growers of early variety potatoes in the district are happy to get good yield as well as high prices of the crop.

The early variety potato is selling between Tk 45 and Tk 50 per kg in local markets while it sold for Tk 60 to 70 per kg when it was harvested first a month ago.

"I have cultivated early variety potato on two bighas of land after harvesting the short duration aman paddy. I have already sold 1500 kg of harvested potatoes at Tk 50 per kg in the local market in last two weeks," said Dhirendra Nath Barman, 60, of Gilabari village in Aditmari upazila.

"I hope to sell more 400 kg in a week," he said, adding that he spent only Tk 20 thousand for the cultivation.

Farmers Hasmat Ali, 48, of Kakina village of Kaliganj upazila said he has already earned Tk 80 thousand from selling the newly harvested potato.

Early variety potato was cultivated on 120 hectares of land after harvesting short duration aman paddy at different villages in Lamonirhat, said sources of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Lalmonirhat.

A total of 11,000 hectares of land have been brought under potato cultivation in five upazilas of Lalmonirhat district this year and sowing of potato seeds will continue till early February next year, said DAE sources.