BSS, Gaibandha :
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has taken up an extensive plan to cultivate potato in all the seven Upazilas of the district during the current Rabi season.
Official sources said a total of 9,445 hectares of land will be brought under the cultivation this year with the production target of 185,594 tonnes of potato.
Of the total, some 350 hectares of land would be brought under the cultivation in Sadar Upazila, 1,500 in Sadullapur Upazila, 700 in Palashbari Upazila, 5,500 in Gobindaganj Upazila, 850 in Sundarganj Upazila, 400 in Saghata Upazila and 145 in Fulchhari Upazila in the district, DAE sources said.
The officials of DAE particularly sub-assistant agriculture officers in field level are motivating the farmers to cultivate potato on their land in large scale to meet its demand and to make the growers economically benefited.
Besides, the farmers are also being imparted training on potato cultivation by the department to make the programme a success, said DAE’s additional deputy director (Crop) M. Showkat Osman.
Talking to BSS, deputy director AKM Ruhul Amin said an initiative has been taken to ensure supply of seed, fertilizer, pesticides and other agri-inputs to the farmers to boost production of potatoes in the district during the current season.
Apart from these, different commercial banks including Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank are also distributing agri-loan to the growers on easy term to farm potato without any economical troubles, he added.
