Potato plants withering away following attack by diseases in Nilphamri. Photo: STAR

Farmers' hopes to recover flood losses by cultivating potato may be shattered as vast areas of potato fields in Nilphamari are attacked with 'early blight' and 'late blight' diseases due to dense fog and chilly cold.

With expectations of good prices from potato as in last year, they deployed all their resources and labour to have a good yield but the prospects have dashed their hopes, many farmers told this correspondent during visits to different areas of the district.

Many of them also alleged that they are not getting proper advice from block supervisors in many areas on how to protect the crop. They (block supervisers) remain busy with issuing slips for fertiliser distribution, the farmers alleged.

Added to the diseases, there is crisis of TSP (Triple Super Phospate) and Potash fertisliser, they said.

During visits to potato fields in Itakhola, Tupamari and Ramnagar villages in Sadar upazila; Balagram and Golna in Jaldhaka; Kalikapur, Nitai and Bahagli in Kishoreganj and Gayabari and Khalisha-chapani in Dimla, potato plants in many fields were seen dying with their stems rotten and leaves shrunk.

Farmer Hasanul Islam in Tupamari village in Sadar upazila said he sowed potato on four bighas of land. Plants on one bigha are dying due to attack by the diseases. Adjoining fields will also be attacked soon, he said.

Tayeb Ali of Monthena village in Kishoreganj said his two bighas of potato have already been attacked with stem rot disease. The plants are dying rapidly.

They said the diseases spread rapidly from one field to another.

Dense fog blankets most areas in northern districts from about midnight till 11am next day.

The mercury moved between 7 and 8 degree celcius for a week from January 21, weather office said. The day temperature is siring now, which was 11 degree celcius on Monday. Fluctuation in temperature in winter and dense fog is very bad for crops, particularly potato.

Farmers in most affected areas alleged that despite repeated appeals, block supervisors seldom visit their affected potato fields.

When contacted, a block supervisor seeking anonymity said he is under pressure from higher authorities to oversee fertiliser distribution in his union.

"I remain busy almost the whole day identifying real farmers, assessing their actual areas and fertiliser needes and issuing delivery slips, ", he said.

Deputy Director of District Agriculture office Eunus Ali said 'early blight' and 'late blight' diseases may attack potato fields when temperature drops to 8 degree celcius and the weather remains damp for days because with the sun invisible due to dense fog.

He however said he did not get any report of attack by 'early blight' or 'late blight' diseases in potato fields. “If there is any attack, it would be negligible”.

Crops specialist of the Agriculture Extension Department (AED) in Nilphamari Osman Gani said pesticide of Mencozeb group can be sprayed in fields as precaution against the diseases if damp weather continues for over one week.

Many farmers said they bought TSP and Potash at prices almost double the last year's.

A 50kg bag of TSP is sold at Tk 1400-1450 against Tk 750-775 last year and Potash at Tk 1400-1500 against Tk 750-800.

Price of potato seed is also higher this year. One kilogram of 'A' grade BADC potato seed was sold at Tk 27 per kg, which is almost double the last year's price.

Many farmers said they arranged money to cultivate potato by selling whatever Amon paddy they could harvest, cattle and even chicken.

AED sources said the target of potato cultivation in the district was 16,000 hectares. But enthusiastic farmers who got high price last year exceeded the target. Potato has been sown on a record 22,000 hectares this year, they said.