Bangladesh: Early potato farming starts in Dinajpur

During and after the harvesting periods in last two seasons, farmers incurred huge losses due to non-stop countrywide blockade and hartal imposed by BNP and Jamaat.

In last year, around 14.5 lakh tonnes of potato was produced from 74,000 hectares of land in Dinajpur, Thakurgaon and Panchagarh districts, according to the Department of Agriculture Extension’s (DAE) regional office in Dinajpur.

But the huge yield turned a burden for a large number of farmers as they could not sell the produce due to unavailability of transport amid hartal and blockade enforced by BNP and Jamaat.  

Early last year, many growers left their potato on the field to avoid further loss due to transport cost, said Azizul Haque of Nasipur area. 

"That time I sold potato at Tk 1.5 per kg whereas my production cost was Tk 7," said Nurul Islam of Raniganj area under Dinajpur Sadar upazila.

"But the affluent farmers who stored their potato at cold storages are now getting healthy return as the price jumped in last few months. Now a kg of potato is selling at Tk 30. This season I planted potato on five acres of land at Ghugudanga village in Dinajpur Sadar upazila," he said.

During a visit to different places in Dinajpur, the correspondent found the farmers busy in cultivating the potatoes.

Farmers said they started planting the popular vegetable in early October and hopefully the harvest will start late November or early December.

They demanded that the government fix potato prices, like that of paddy and wheat.

Rifatul Islam, deputy director of DAE in Dinajpur, said they are suggesting the farmers to cultivate early variety of potatoes after harvesting the early varieties of paddy.