Home ›› 03 Mar 2023 ›› Nation
Farmers of Dinajpur district are benefitting from exporting potatoes to Malaysia after meeting the domestic demand.
Basudeb Roy, agriculture officer of Khansama upazila, said the soil of the area is suitable for potato cultivation and the yield has been good.
“The demand for potatoes abroad has increased compared to the previous few years. We are ensuring proper communication between the farmers and exporters so that middlemen cannot take advantage of them,” he said.
The official further said that the farmers are being trained and advised on modern cultivation techniques through the Kandal Crop Development Project under the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).
The agriculture department is working towards exporting about 10,000 tonnes of potatoes from the project cultivation for the second consecutive year. Already some 100 tonnes of potatoes have been exported to Malaysia this season, said DAE sources.
The cultivation of exportable varieties of potatoes is being expanded under the project. So that the farmers can benefit financially by exporting potatoes abroad.
DAE sources said the estimated potato harvest in the district is about 7.5 lakh tonnes this year from 47,300 hectares of cultivated land.
Traders, farmers and labourers are currently busy with harvest and sales of the crop. So far, farmers have harvested about 70 per cent of the total cultivated land.
DAE Dinajpur Deputy Director Md Nuruzzaman Mia said there has been a bumper harvest of potatoes in 13 upazilas of the district due to an adequate supply of fertilisers and pesticides and favourable weather conditions.
Although the prices were relatively low at the beginning of the season, it has increased slightly as demand and sales are picking up.
“The farmers are happy with the demand as they are getting a fair price. The potatoes produced in the district are of good quality and are in high demand both in the domestic and international markets,” Nuruzzaman also said.
The potato cultivation target in the distinct this year is 42,200 hectares. However, farmers have exceeded the target by 5,100 hectares of land. Bumper yield has been achieved in all 47,300 hectares of cultivated land.
In Khansama upazila of the district, a hybrid variety of potato has been cultivated in an experimental phase on 2,260 hectares of land this year. Over 50,000 tonnes of potatoes have been produced in the upazila this season.
Among the cultivated varieties Sagita, Granula, Sunshine, Kumrica, and Seven are the most commonly exported due to their demand. About a hundred farmers of Khansama, Chirirbandar and Birol upazila are exporting potatoes abroad with the help of the agriculture department. The farmers are selling their harvest for Tk 14-15 per kg.
According to Abdul Alim, a farmer of Hossainpur village in Khansama upazila said, this year the cost of production was Tk 35,000-38,000 per bigha. Depending on the variety potatoes are selling for Tk 15-25 per kg.
