Ziauddin Liton, Sherpur (Bogura)

Farmers are expecting a bumper yield of potatoes this year in Sherpur of Bogura. Last year, the price of potatoes was high, so they have grown potatoes in more land this year. About 10 varieties of potatoes including Pakri, Asterix, Carriage, Cardinal, Diamond, Granola are cultivated in this upazilla.

The farmers of this upazilla have not been affected by bad weather, so bumper crop of potatoes has been achieved. Apart from good production they are getting fair price. Although the yield of potatoes was good last season, it has suffered due to low prices.

Besides, traders have to count extreme losses by storing potatoes. Forgetting all previous sorrows, the farmers of Sherpur have cultivated potatoes on a large amount of land this year.

According to the agriculture office, the current season in Sherpur upazilla was 2 thousand 625 hectares. Different varieties of potatoes have been cultivated in 2,680 hectares of land exceeding the limit compared to other years, this year there is no virus in the potato field. So the farmers did not have to face any problem in potato cultivation

It can be seen on the surface, in the fields of Porshi, Amin, Panishara, Darugram, Khurta, Dakshin Amoin, Talta and other areas of the upazilla, only potato fields can be seen in any direction.

The tree is fine. If the weather is favorable, the yield of potatoes is also expected to be good. But the potato farmers are in uncertainty whether they will get the desired price or not when the potatoes are lifted from the field. Helal Uddin of Poshi village said that this year I cultivated 11 bigha of land. The potato field signs are looking good.

After a few days, potatoes will be harvested from these lands. Already, some of the early varieties of ground potatoes have been taken to the market. The price is 25 to 35 taka per kg in the retail market. He said that although the price of potato is good in the market now, there is a possibility that the price will decrease at the right time of harvesting. For this reason, we are already contacting the upazilla cold storages for potato storage.

But since the traders there are booking in advance, small farmers like us are not getting any opportunity. Alhaj Harez, a potato farmer of South Amin village, said, I have cultivated 90 bigha of land. The tree is very well done. As the price of everything is higher, it is costing 10,000 to 12,000 taka per bigha compared to last year. Fertilizer, pesticide and labor costs have increased this year.

Fazlu, Ashraful, Mokbul Hossain, potato farmers of Panisara village of Sherpur upazilla said that the price was good at the beginning of last year but the price decreased towards the end. However, they are expecting a good yield as the weather is suitable for potato cultivation this season. Meanwhile, big businessmen are competing to take over the cold storages of the upazilla.

Meanwhile, many farmers have started harvesting early varieties of potatoes. Their eyes sparkled with joy. They said that one bigha of land produces 100 to 120 maunds of potatoes. Currently the price of potato is 900 to 1100 taka. Bogura's sticky potato locally known as hagrai potato is being sold at Tk 1600 per maund.
Farmers said,During the season we get the price of 400 to 600 taka. In that case we suffer a lot. For this reason, they demanded to increase the price of potatoes to make farming profitable.

Jannatul Ferdous, Agriculture Officer of Sherpur Upazilla, said that potato yield was not affected anywhere in the upazilla. It is expected that there will be a bumper crop of potatoes unless there are major natural disasters ahead.