RAJSHAHI, Jan 21, 2018 (BSS)-Farmers and others concerned are hopeful about a good potato yield in the region in the current season as overall climatic condition remains favorable for the farming since its initial stage.
With the hope of making profit like the previous season, the farmers in the have cultivated potato on more lands than the target fixed by the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) everywhere in eight districts under the division.
Golam Rasul, a farmer of Darusha village under Paba Upazila, said both acreage and yield were boosted up in the wake of a favorable climatic condition and availability of standard seed in the region.
This season, he along with his sons cultivated potato on around 150 bighas of land. He said, “We are very much optimistic about our outcomes as the weather was absolutely supportive”.
Rasul 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 with massive promotion of commercial farming as a result of irrigation facilities promoted by the Barind Multipurpose Development Authorities (BMDA).
Mozur-E-Mawla, Upazila Agriculture Officer, said the farmers are expecting a 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 has made the potato growers apprehensive about their farming.
Most of the growers’ harvested better yields of potato in last three to four years and they also obtained expected sale proceeds in the harvesting stage.
“I had sold out an 85-kg potato bag at Taka 800 to 850 in previous season, said Ziarul Haque, a farmer of Baya village.
Mustafizur Rahman, additional director of DAE, said the officials, experts and other organisations concerned have been providing necessary suggestions to the farmers to face the cold situation so that the growing potato fields are not affected by late bright disease.
Currently, early variety potato has appeared in the local markets in plenty with more or less better prices benefiting the growers in the region, markets sources said.
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.