The New Nation - Internet Edition

ACCORDING to recent press reports, scarce seeds of potato and high price of pesticides have created a 'grave concern' for growers in the northern region. Farmers apprehend that the situation may cause a severe shortfall in potato production. Severe shortage of potato seeds and high prices of pesticides, which are mostly found sub-standard and adulterated in the local markets, have created doubts in the minds of growers how far they could achieve the target this season. The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) of Rangpur set the target of cultivation of potato on 150,639 hectares of land in eight districts of greater Rangpur-Dinajpur region this season with a production target of 2,485,544 tonnes.

Some 168,501 hectares of land were brought under potato cultivation in the region last year against 170,900 hectares to produce 2,990,750 tonnes of potato. According to the DAE, about 2,25,958 tonnes of potato seeds were required to cultivate the area. The demand of potato seeds is about 4 lakh tonnes. The Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation could allot only 11,000 tonnes of potato seeds across the country meeting merely three per cent of the demand. BADC is unable to supply the required quantity of seeds and cultivators depend on NGOs, companies and fellow farmers who grow seeds.

This year, BADC allotted 2,000 tonnes of potato seeds for distribution among the farmers in the eight districts as against 1,700 tonnes last year. Many farmers, in fact, had to procure seeds from different NGOs and companies last year and later found that their potato plants dried up because seeds were of sub-standard quality. Besides massive pest attacks caused huge damage to crop. According to farmers, prices of potato seeds are 'very high' this season in the local markets because potato sold at higher prices throughout the year.