Bangladesh: Potato harvesting goes on in happy mood

The growers are earning Tk 15,000 to Tk 20,000 from cultivating potatoes on one bigha of land this year. It is mentionable that the same farmers did not get expected profit last year. However, the production cost was lower than this year.

Atiar Rahman, a farmer of Ambari village in Sadar upazila, said he cultivated potato on three bighas of land and got Tk 1.19 lakh by selling 12,550 kg of potato at Tk 9.5 a kg this year. The production cost was Tk 62,000.

"Last year, I got 12,650 kg of potatoes from three bighas of land and sold the total produce at Tk 88,500 at Tk 7 per kg while the production cost was Tk 48,000," said Atiar. 

This time, the production cost is high as they had to spend more money on pesticide due to prolonged cold and foggy weather, he said. 

At present, the crop is being sold at Tk 8 to Tk 10 per kg in the field, said another farmer Nazrul Islam of Mandolerhat area in the same upazila.

Although the production cost has increased this year, they are getting expected prices, said Nazrul.

Sekendar Ali of Bhadai village in Aditmari upazila said he cultivated potatoes on 10 bighas of land by spending Tk 2.15 lakh.

He has already got 16,400 kg of potato from four bighas of land and sold the total produce at Tk 9 per kg, said Sekendar.

"Hopefully, I will get the same yield from the rest bighas of land. I’m also expecting fair prices," he said.

Farmers have been getting good profit from potato cultivation since last year, said Sekendar.

According to Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Lalmonirhat, potato has been cultivated on 4,800 hectares of land in the district this year, which was 4,620 hectares last year. Farmers have got 25 to 27 tonnes of the crop from one hectare of land.

Lalmonirhat DAE Deputy Director Bidhu Bhushan Roy said although potato farmers have spent additional production cost this year due to rough weather, they are happy to get good yield and fair prices.