Bogra Correspondent :
Harvesting of potato has started in Bogra district and a good yield is expected but the growers have been frustrated by lower prices of their produce.
They now fear of losses this season. According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) of Bogra, about 57,056 hectares (ha) of land was brought under potato cultivation in twelve upazilas of the district with a production target of 1102500 lakh tonnes. In Namuja village of Bogra Sadar upazila farmers were seen harvesting potatoes on Wednesday. Potato farmers Amenul Islam, 50, and Md.Mannan, 40, told this correspondent that they were happy with bumper yield, but they fear prices might go down at the peak harvesting time in the market.
Abdul Bare, another farmer of Rone,40, said he has been cultivating potatoes for the last three years. Last year, he suffered losses of about Tk 80,000 from potato cultivation on his two acres of land. In the previous year, he earned a profit of Tk 1.0 lakh.
The farmers of Bogra Sadar, Dupchanchia, and Shibgong upazila urged the government to fix the price of potato and purchase the produce from them at the filed level like paddy and wheat.
According to sources, currently, per kilogram potato is selling at Tk 8 to 10. But this price may come down at the peak time of harvesting, source added.
When contacted, Shandi Das Kundi, deputy director of the DAE,Bogra said the farmers of this district are interested to grow vegetables like potato as cash crop. But due to high production cost their profit has dropped much.
Harvesting of potato has started in Bogra district and a good yield is expected but the growers have been frustrated by lower prices of their produce.
They now fear of losses this season. According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) of Bogra, about 57,056 hectares (ha) of land was brought under potato cultivation in twelve upazilas of the district with a production target of 1102500 lakh tonnes. In Namuja village of Bogra Sadar upazila farmers were seen harvesting potatoes on Wednesday. Potato farmers Amenul Islam, 50, and Md.Mannan, 40, told this correspondent that they were happy with bumper yield, but they fear prices might go down at the peak harvesting time in the market.
Abdul Bare, another farmer of Rone,40, said he has been cultivating potatoes for the last three years. Last year, he suffered losses of about Tk 80,000 from potato cultivation on his two acres of land. In the previous year, he earned a profit of Tk 1.0 lakh.
The farmers of Bogra Sadar, Dupchanchia, and Shibgong upazila urged the government to fix the price of potato and purchase the produce from them at the filed level like paddy and wheat.
According to sources, currently, per kilogram potato is selling at Tk 8 to 10. But this price may come down at the peak time of harvesting, source added.
When contacted, Shandi Das Kundi, deputy director of the DAE,Bogra said the farmers of this district are interested to grow vegetables like potato as cash crop. But due to high production cost their profit has dropped much.
