Due to bumper output and fair market price of early harvested potatoes the farmer’s eyes & face have been sparkled with happiness under Nandigram upazila in Bogura this current season. Early potatoes variety has been flooded at Kitchen markets across the district. This potato is now gold to the farmers. Now the upazila is going everywhere to pick potatoes.

According to Upazila Agriculture Office sources, the target for potato cultivation has been set at 3,450 hectares in the upazila this year. The yield has been good this year as the weather has been favourable.

It is known that the farmers are hoping for a bumper yield. Potato harvesting operations are now underway in the vast crop fields of various villages including Katham, Chakalma, Singhjani, Bhatgram, Teghar, Ridhail, Birpali, Dhundar in the upazila.

Many farmers have already removed the potatoes. Many people are pulling up the potato plants. After harvesting the rows of potatoes, potato farmers are spending a busy time starting from bagging to cold storage or marketing. From house to house, piles of round golden potatoes in fields. So the farmer’s eyes and face sparkled with happiness. The festival of potato picking has started across the upazila for a few weeks. There is a bumper crop and farmers are getting good prices for potatoes.

Alamin Hossain, a potato grower of Korihaat village of the upazila said that he has cultivated potatoes on 10 bighas of land this time hoping bumper output. He is getting 125 maunds of potatoes from per bigha as the weather condition is quite favourable.

He has already harvested the potato plant. And in a few days the potato picking will be over. He is preparing to bag the potatoes and put them in cold storage. Akash Ali, a potato grower of Bhatgram, said that the size of potato has become quite large this time avoiding insect infestation. Golden color caught in the potato. He is selling the potatoes in the field as he gets a good price.

While visiting the correspondent found Diamond potatoes are being sold at Tk 470 per mound whereas Pakri potatoes at Tk 620 from the land. Many farmers like them have sold potatoes to wholesalers in the field. The wholesalers have bought potatoes at a price per bushel. Booking of potato storage is going on in various cold storages. Big businessmen have already booked there.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Adnan Babu said that the weather was good this time. We have advised the farmers at various times. Farmers have been able to keep the potato field disease-free this year on the advice of the Agriculture Department. In this upazila there has been a bumper crop of potatoes.