M’ganj witnesses bumper potato yield
Munshiganj, famous as a potato production hub, witnessed a booming yield of the crop this season, thanks to favourable weather conditions coupled with timely agri-inputs from local agriculture officials.
The potato acreage has gone up to a great extent in the district over the years as it fetches megabucks every year. Now-a-days more farmers are switching to the farming seeing it a profitable venture.
The harvesting of potatoes is now nearing completion which started in the last week of February.
While visiting different potato fields in the district, this correspondent found many farmers engaged in reaping potatoes. They expect a bumper production this year like previous years.
But the optimum production has come as a bane for growers as they are not getting fair prices of their produce. Nevertheless, they are bound to sell their potatoes at throwaway prices in absence of adequate storage facilities. The existing cold storages can house only half of the total output.
According to department of agriculture extension, this year the production is expected to surpass the last year’s 13.51 lakh of tonnes grown on a total of 39,300 hectares of land.
But the district’s 74 cold storages can preserve five lakh tonnes of potatoes whereas the average annual production is 10 lakh tonnes.
Although farmers are not satisfied with the current potato prices—ranging from Tk 6 to Tk7 per kg— at local markets, many others are optimistic about getting higher prices at the end of the season by stacking their produce in cold storages.
Abu Sayed, manager of Mukterpur Cold Storage in Sadar upazila, said, “We have started to preserve potatoes since the beginning of the harvest season. And half of the storage has already been filled up.”
When contacted, Humayun Kabir, deputy director of DAE said, “This year the potato production has increased in the district compared to the last two seasons. We are expecting to get 35 tonnes per hectare this time”
Farmer Bashed Bepari of Banglabazar area said, “A 55-kg sack of potatoes is selling at Tk 300 in local market against the production cost of Tk 650-Tk 700 per sack, inflicting a huge loss to growers.
Growers blamed a section of unscrupulous traders for a drastic fall in potato prices. They demanded that the government form an immediate monitoring cell to ensure fair prices of potatoes.
The losses, caused by the low prices, can be recouped with the introduction of adequate storage facilities for their just-harvested potatoes till the end of the season, farmers informed.
The potato acreage has gone up to a great extent in the district over the years as it fetches megabucks every year. Now-a-days more farmers are switching to the farming seeing it a profitable venture.
The harvesting of potatoes is now nearing completion which started in the last week of February.
While visiting different potato fields in the district, this correspondent found many farmers engaged in reaping potatoes. They expect a bumper production this year like previous years.
But the optimum production has come as a bane for growers as they are not getting fair prices of their produce. Nevertheless, they are bound to sell their potatoes at throwaway prices in absence of adequate storage facilities. The existing cold storages can house only half of the total output.
According to department of agriculture extension, this year the production is expected to surpass the last year’s 13.51 lakh of tonnes grown on a total of 39,300 hectares of land.
But the district’s 74 cold storages can preserve five lakh tonnes of potatoes whereas the average annual production is 10 lakh tonnes.
Although farmers are not satisfied with the current potato prices—ranging from Tk 6 to Tk7 per kg— at local markets, many others are optimistic about getting higher prices at the end of the season by stacking their produce in cold storages.
Abu Sayed, manager of Mukterpur Cold Storage in Sadar upazila, said, “We have started to preserve potatoes since the beginning of the harvest season. And half of the storage has already been filled up.”
When contacted, Humayun Kabir, deputy director of DAE said, “This year the potato production has increased in the district compared to the last two seasons. We are expecting to get 35 tonnes per hectare this time”
Farmer Bashed Bepari of Banglabazar area said, “A 55-kg sack of potatoes is selling at Tk 300 in local market against the production cost of Tk 650-Tk 700 per sack, inflicting a huge loss to growers.
Growers blamed a section of unscrupulous traders for a drastic fall in potato prices. They demanded that the government form an immediate monitoring cell to ensure fair prices of potatoes.
The losses, caused by the low prices, can be recouped with the introduction of adequate storage facilities for their just-harvested potatoes till the end of the season, farmers informed.
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