Farmers in Rajarhat upazila of Kurigram district are passing a busy time planting early varieties of potatoes.
In Dudhkhawa Mondalpara village under the Sadar union of the upazila, farmer Alhaj Md. Fazlul Haque Mondal has commenced planting the early Asterix variety of potato on his own 3 acres of land to meet the demand for winter vegetables. According to his advance planning for early potato cultivation, he had previously cultivated the short-duration BRAC Mukti-1 rice variety on those lands.
Alhaj Md. Fazlul Haque Mondal shared that in previous years, storing potatoes in cold storage after harvesting resulted in significant financial losses. Therefore, by planting early Asterix and Allouette varieties, he aims to harvest and sell them in the open market by January 20–25, 2027, thereby satisfying the demand for fresh early-season potatoes.
In the same village, Valiant Freedom Fighter Md. Abul Kashem (Mogbor) has cultivated early potatoes on 15 decimals of land, Md. Nazrul Islam Mondal on 60 decimals, and Abdul Wahed Master of Baje Mujrai village on 75 decimals of land.
Read nextYouth Beaten and Injured Over Family Dispute in Atghoria Md. Masud Rana, Given the currently low market prices for potatoes, expectations of high profit margins from early varieties remain low. Nevertheless, farmers are taking the risk to bring new potatoes to market to fulfill consumer demand. Farmer Alhaj Fazlul Haque Mondal estimated that the cost of cultivating potatoes per acre ranges from Tk 80,000 to Tk 90,000.
Addressing the situation, Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer Pradip Kumar Roy of the Rajarhat Agriculture Extension Office stated that lists of farmers are being prepared at the field level to ensure they receive government-subsidized fertilizers, alongside ongoing technical advice and support.
Rajarhat Upazila Agriculture Officer Tushar Kanti Roy informed that a target has been set to cultivate potatoes on 2,600 hectares of land in the upazila this season.
— Daily Best News Desk • Fearless in the search for truth
Reported by M. A. Mondal Atom, Rajarhat (Kurigram) Correspondent: • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
