Bumper potato production likely in Rangpur region

RANGPUR: A farmer spraying his growing potato field expecting bumper production.
RANGPUR: A farmer spraying his growing potato field expecting bumper production.
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BSS, Rangpur :
The farmers are expecting bumper potato production as they have already exceeded its cultivation target by 2.44 per cent and tender plants of the crop are growing excellently in Rangpur agriculture region this season.
At the same time, the farmers are now very happy after getting lucrative market price of their newly harvested early variety of potatoes between Taka 20 and 35 at their crop fields depending on different varieties in the beginning of the season.
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources, a target of producing 18.06 lakh tons of potato has been fixed from 91,921 hectares of land in all five districts under the region during this current 2015-2016 Rabi season.
However, the enthusiastic farmers of the agriculture region have already brought over 94,160 hectares of land under potato cultivation, which is more than 2,239 hectares or 2.44 per cent than the fixed production target.
Horticulture specialist of the DAE Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam told BSS that the farmers have already completed sowing of potato seeds exceeding its fixed farming target in the agriculture region this season.
Meanwhile, the farmers have been continuing harvest of early potato varieties that they had cultivated after harvesting short duration variety Aman rice like BINA dhan-7, BRRI dhan-33, BRRI dhan-39, BRRI dhan-56, BRRI dhan-57, BRRI dhan-62 and other short duration hybrid varieties in the region.
Farmers Solaiman Ali, Kashem Mahmud and Nazir Hossain Abu Noor and Yunus Ali of different villages said they had cultivated early variety potatoes after harvesting short duration Aman rice and are harvesting and selling those to earn huge profits this time.
Farmers Monwar Hossain, Sekendar Ali and Azmal Haque of different villages here said they have also completed harvest and earned excellent profits after cultivating potato on their lands after harvesting short duration Aman crop. Potato growers Shachindra Nath, Akmal Hossain and Alhaj Khwaja Ahmed expressed their satisfaction over present market price of potatoes and requested the government for ensuring fair price of the late variety potatoes.
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