Panchagarh farmers happy with bumper potato production

Farmers in Panchagarh district are happy over bumper production of potato and getting fair price.

The farmers have started harvesting early variety of potato from their respective lands with much enthusiasm.

Per maund of potato is being sold at Tk 600 to Tk 700. Traders have come from different districts and are buying potatoes from the growers and sent those to Dhaka and other parts of the country.

Farmers said cultivation of early variety potato is gaining popularity in the district due to lower production cost.

Zakir, a potato grower, said he cultivated early variety of potato on seven bighas of land this year and got 40-maund potato from each bigha of land. He has got fair price by selling potato. Zakir has made a profit of Tk 1,80,000 by selling potato after all production costs.

Deputy Director of Panchagarh office of Department of Agricultural Extension(DAE) Md Mizanur Rahman said soil and weather condition of the district is very much favourable for potato cultivation.

The DAE sources said 5,000 hectares of land have been brought under early variety of potato cultivation in the district. The cultivators were given necessary support including agri-inputs for boosting potato production in the district.