Ferdousur Rahman, Bogra :
A good number of farmers in Bogra district have started sowing early variety potato seeds after harvesting short duration Aman paddy, apparently in a bid to recoup the losses they incurred last year filled with hope.
The Department of Agriculture (DAE) has set a target of potato cultivation on 50,000 hectares of land in 12 upazilas in Bogra during the current Rabi season with a production target of 18.5 tonnes per hectare, said Chondidash Kundu, Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Bogra.
The target is likely to be exceeded as farmers including a large number of sharecroppers, especially in the chars (newly emerged landmass) in river basin areas, are expected to cultivate potato on larger areas of land than the previous season, Mr. Chondidash added.
Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute and a number of NGOs have taken steps to provide quality potato seeds among the farmers to ensure its proper cultivation.
The authorities concerned have taken adequate steps for ensuring smooth supply of chemical fertilisers, pesticides, technical assistance and other inputs to the potato growers at the grassroots level while commercial banks, other financial institutions and NGOs provided easy term agriculture loans for the purpose.
The early variety potatoes may appear in the local markets by November-December at the time of coming harvest festivals (Nobanna).
During this correspondent visit to Karatoa River basin areas, a number of farmers said they cultivated early variety of the major cash crop in more areas to recover the huge losses they had suffered in last rainy season.
Now sowing of early variety potato seeds is going on in full swing in Shakharia, Pollomongol, Pirgasha, Gokul, Lahiripara, Shekerkola union under shadar upazila, Mahasthagarh under Shinganj upazila of Bogra district.
The cultivated items include local varieties of sheel bilatee, lal sheel (bograi, lal madda) and lal pakri and foreign varieties of cardinal, diamond and kufri shindhury.
About 10 percent cultivation has already completed, farmers said, adding that they hope to get good yield if the weather remains favourable.
“This year I cultivated diamond on 40 decimals of land. I got profit by cultivating early variety potatoes in previous years. Last season I sold early-variety potatoes for Tk 1600-2000 per 40 kg bag where the variety harvested in the peak season was sold for only Tk 300-500,” Fotu Mia, a farmer of Shakharia under shadar upazila said.
A good number of farmers in Bogra district have started sowing early variety potato seeds after harvesting short duration Aman paddy, apparently in a bid to recoup the losses they incurred last year filled with hope.
The Department of Agriculture (DAE) has set a target of potato cultivation on 50,000 hectares of land in 12 upazilas in Bogra during the current Rabi season with a production target of 18.5 tonnes per hectare, said Chondidash Kundu, Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Bogra.
The target is likely to be exceeded as farmers including a large number of sharecroppers, especially in the chars (newly emerged landmass) in river basin areas, are expected to cultivate potato on larger areas of land than the previous season, Mr. Chondidash added.
Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute and a number of NGOs have taken steps to provide quality potato seeds among the farmers to ensure its proper cultivation.
The authorities concerned have taken adequate steps for ensuring smooth supply of chemical fertilisers, pesticides, technical assistance and other inputs to the potato growers at the grassroots level while commercial banks, other financial institutions and NGOs provided easy term agriculture loans for the purpose.
The early variety potatoes may appear in the local markets by November-December at the time of coming harvest festivals (Nobanna).
During this correspondent visit to Karatoa River basin areas, a number of farmers said they cultivated early variety of the major cash crop in more areas to recover the huge losses they had suffered in last rainy season.
Now sowing of early variety potato seeds is going on in full swing in Shakharia, Pollomongol, Pirgasha, Gokul, Lahiripara, Shekerkola union under shadar upazila, Mahasthagarh under Shinganj upazila of Bogra district.
The cultivated items include local varieties of sheel bilatee, lal sheel (bograi, lal madda) and lal pakri and foreign varieties of cardinal, diamond and kufri shindhury.
About 10 percent cultivation has already completed, farmers said, adding that they hope to get good yield if the weather remains favourable.
“This year I cultivated diamond on 40 decimals of land. I got profit by cultivating early variety potatoes in previous years. Last season I sold early-variety potatoes for Tk 1600-2000 per 40 kg bag where the variety harvested in the peak season was sold for only Tk 300-500,” Fotu Mia, a farmer of Shakharia under shadar upazila said.
