Joypurhat, Nilphamari potato growers happy over market price as harvest starts

JOYPURHAT, Nov 26:  The potato growers of the district are delighted for good market price this season.

According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), the marginal farmers of the district have brought 12,560 hectares of land under the farming of early-cultivated potato and got over 98,390 tonnes of yield.

Potato growers have started harvesting the vegetable from the last week and it is now available in the local kitchen markets, said farmer Nazrul Islam of Khetlal upazila.

Per kg of the newly-harvested potato is being sold at Tk 100 to Tk 120 in the retail market, while the wholesale rate is at Tk 95 to Tk 100.

"Farmers are passing busy time to harvest potato as they are making high profit from it, said sub-assistance agriculture officer of DAE Azizar Rahman.

Meanwhile, our Nilphamari correspondent adds: Harvest of early cultivated potato has recently started in the district and it is now available in local market. 

Sources said short-duration varieties such as granola can be harvested within 60 days of its plantation. The varieties are popular for commercial farming.

Growers generally use high land in farming the item. It is also cultivated in sandy areas where rain water does not stagnant. Farmers can get 60 maunds of yield from one bigha (30 decimal) of land.

Market sources said the variety is being sold at Tk 60 per kg. The rate would come down with the increase of supply.

A good number of farmers said traders from different areas across the country start arriving the district to purchase the commodity item. Cultivation of early variety of potato is profitable. A grower generally earns a profit of Tk 50,000 by farming it on one bigha of land.

DAE sources said the vegetable was cultivated on around 10000 hectares of land this season.

Rabiul Islam, grower of Gomnati union under Domar upazila, said he cultivated early variety of potato on two bighas of land and is expecting 100 maunds of yield.