The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Rangpur

Prices of potato start falling following arrival of newly harvested early variety of potato in the local markets in the northern region of the country now, market sources said.

The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has fixed a target of producing 58,99,250 tonnes of potato from 3,37,100 hectares of land during the current season in all 16 northern districts of the region.

The fixed target is higher by 35 percent than that of the previous season when the DAE had a target of producing 44,07,936 tonnes of potato from 2,49,600 hectares land and the farmers achieved the target, DAE officials said.

The farmers still continue sowing of potato seeds at many places after harvesting their T-Aman paddy and more land is expected to be brought under potato cultivation with a huge possibility of bumper production of the major crop this season.

The DAE sources today said that the farmers have already completed sowing potato seeds in almost every area and the process of sowing late variety potato seeds will continue by the end of the next month throughout the region.

The farmers are expected to cultivate the major crop in more land than the fixed target and vast tract of the char lands has been brought under farming of the crop this time.

The government departments including the DAE, BADC, BARI and a number of NGOs have also taken various effective steps for providing potato seeds among the farmers to make the programme a success, officials said.

The concerned departments and administration have taken adequate steps for ensuring smooth supply of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, technical assistances and other inputs to the potato growers for potato farming.

The early variety potato has already appeared in plenty in the local markets as farmers cultivated those much ahead than that of the traditional periods after harvesting short duration BRRI Dhan-33 Aman paddy and summer vegetables, sources said.

The commercial banks and a number of NGOs have been providing easy-term agri-loans among the small and marginal farmers for farming of Rabi crops including potato in more land this season.