Bhola, Nilphamari

Growers expect good yield of potato

Farmers in Bhola sadar have spared no time after the harvest of Aman paddy as they are now busy sowing potato seeds in the same land.
 Sources said the farmers see a bright prospect in potato farming in Bhola district after they reaped financial benefit from this crop in successive years.
Sources at the Department of Agricultural Extension in Bhola said the area of potato cultivation have been expanding every year in this district. Potato was cultivated on 17000 acres of land last year in Bhola district.
They hope the area of potato cultivation will too rise in the current season due to the favorable climatic condition.During a visit in a large scale potato growing of Bhola sadar farmer Nurul Islam, 67, a farmer in Char Annanda, said he is sowing potato seeds on two acres of land this season. He said he made Tk1 lakh in net profit from cultivation potato last year.
Farmers -- Abdul Mannan and Abdur Rashid  -- of the area said they are using the potato seeds that are preserved at a cold storage in Bhola.
Reazuddin, upazila agriculture officer, said the farmers are interested to cultivate potato as a cash crop in this upazila. Agriculture officers are encouraging the farmers for early sowing of potato seeds.
 Proshanta Kumar Shaha, deputy d of DAE in Bhola, said the soon after harvesting the high yielding, short duration transplanted Aman paddy in their land have started sowing the potato seed.  
 In Nilphamari, farmers are giving time in their potato fields with the hope that the early variety of the winter crop will help them recover from losses suffered for damage caused to paddy by floods.
They are seen tending potato plantations in Jaldhaka, Domar and Kishoreganj upazilas. The potatoes are extensively cultivated at village Arji Kathali in Jaldhaka upazila, where both male and female labourers are nursing early variety of potato.
Farmer Bulbul Ahmed told this correspondent that this year he cultivated early variety of potatoes on seven bighas of land with the hope higher profit.
 Aminur Rahman, another grower of the village, said at least Tk 18,000 to Tk20,000 is spent on cultivation of potato on one bigha of land. He said the yield could be worth worth Tk 40,000 to Tk45,000.Panial Pukur, another grower in Kishoreganj upazila, said: “I have been cultivating early variety of potatoes for more than 20 years.” He said at least Tk 20,000 is required to spend on  cultivation of  potatoes on one bigha of land.
Md Mohosin Reza,deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension said new potatoes of the earlier variety may be available in the markets within ten days. He said the early variety of potatoes have been cultivated on 14,245 hectares. This also includes 865 hectares of local variety in the entire district.

Bhola, Nilphamari

Growers expect good yield of potato

Farmers in Bhola sadar have spared no time after the harvest of Aman paddy as they are now busy sowing potato seeds in the same land. Sources said the farmers see a bright prospect in potato farming in Bhola district after they reaped financial benefit from this crop in successive years. Sources at the Department of Agricultural Extension in Bhola said the area of potato cultivation have been expanding every year in this district. Potato was cultivated on 17000 acres of land last year in Bhola district. They hope the area of potato cultivation will too rise in the current season due to the favorable climatic condition.During a visit in a large scale potato growing of Bhola sadar farmer Nurul Islam, 67, a farmer in Char Annanda, said he is sowing potato seeds on two acres of land this season. He said he made Tk1 lakh in net profit from cultivation potato last year. Farmers -- Abdul Mannan and Abdur Rashid -- of the area said they are using the potato seeds that are preserved at a cold storage in Bhola. Reazuddin, upazila agriculture officer, said the farmers are interested to cultivate potato as a cash crop in this upazila. Agriculture officers are encouraging the farmers for early sowing of potato seeds. Proshanta Kumar Shaha, deputy d of DAE in Bhola, said the soon after harvesting the high yielding, short duration transplanted Aman paddy in their land have started sowing the potato seed. In Nilphamari, farmers are giving time in their potato fields with the hope that the early variety of the winter crop will help them recover from losses suffered for damage caused to paddy by floods. They are seen tending potato plantations in Jaldhaka, Domar and Kishoreganj upazilas. The potatoes are extensively cultivated at village Arji Kathali in Jaldhaka upazila, where both male and female labourers are nursing early variety of potato. Farmer Bulbul Ahmed told this correspondent that this year he cultivated early variety of potatoes on seven bighas of land with the hope higher profit. Aminur Rahman, another grower of the village, said at least Tk 18,000 to Tk20,000 is spent on cultivation of potato on one bigha of land. He said the yield could be worth worth Tk 40,000 to Tk45,000.Panial Pukur, another grower in Kishoreganj upazila, said: I have been cultivating early variety of potatoes for more than 20 years. He said at least Tk 20,000 is required to spend on cultivation of potatoes on one bigha of land. Md Mohosin Reza,deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension said new potatoes of the earlier variety may be available in the markets within ten days. He said the early variety of potatoes have been cultivated on 14,245 hectares. This also includes 865 hectares of local variety in the entire district.