Potato farmers pleased with this year’s prices
While some farmers say that potato yields were low this year, most of them argue the opposite as they got the same output as they had in previous years.
And although cultivation costs were higher this year, farmers are enjoying satisfactory prices for their produce due to the increased demand for potatoes in local markets.
Various farmers say the demand for potatoes increased because of the higher prices of other vegetables. As such, potato traders are buying the tuber crop for Tk 12-13 per kilogramme (kg) from farmers who were forced to sell the same amount for just Tk 10-11 last year.
Besides, even though many potatoes remained unsold last year, none of the spuds are being left over this time around.
The cost of cultivating potatoes in each bigha of land was about Tk 24,000 last year, but it has now increased to around Tk 27,000.
This year, potato has been cultivated on 98,458 hectares of land in five districts of Rangpur division, namely Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Nilphamari, Gaibandha and Rangpur.
In 2021, potato was cultivated on 97,315 hectares of land, according to sources from the local Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).
The potato production target for Rangpur region is 23.65 lakh tonnes this year.
Meanwhile, potatoes were cultivated on about 5 lakh hectares of land across the country and the overall production target has been set at around 1.16 crore tonnes.
The average annual demand of potato in the country is about 60-70 lakh tonnes, DAE data showed.
Reazul Islam, a farmer from Chinipara village in Lalmonirhat sadar Upazila, told the Daily Star that he produced 32,670 kgs of potato by cultivating 11 bighas of land this year.
He produced an average of 90 kgs of potato in each decimal of land, as was the case in previous years.
Islam spent about Tk 2.86 lakh to grow the potatoes, 30,000 kgs of which he sold directly from the field for around Tk 3.90 lakh at Tk 13 per kg.
He kept the remaining 2,000 kgs of potato in cold storage and another 670 kgs for his own consumption.
"We are happy with the market price of potato this year but if the price was Tk 15-16 per kg, we could have made more profit," Islam said.
Suresh Chandra Barman, a farmer from Nazimkhan village in Rajarhat upazila of Kurigram, said this year's potato production levels are similar to last year.
However, this year potato cultivation has cost about Tk 2,500 more for each bigha of land.
Still though, potato traders and cold storage owners have been buying potatoes directly from farmers at satisfactory prices.
"I produced 45,500 kgs of potato on 16 bighas of land at a cost of Tk 4.15 lakh. I sold 43,000 kgs of the crop for Tk 5.59 lakh at Tk 13 per kg," he said.
"I kept some 1,800 kgs of potato in cold storage while the rest is for family use," Barman said, adding that he was forced to sell 3,000 kgs of potato at low rates last year after they remained unsold during the peak season.
Anwarul Islam, a farmer from Mandolerhat village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila, said he planted potatoes on 10 bighas of land this year.
He got 10-12 kg less production in each decimal of land in low-lying areas as untimely rains caused waterlogging.
However, the remaining six bighas of land yielded the same amount as it had last year.
Potato cultivation costs Tk 800 to Tk 900 for each decimal of land, which yields about 80 kgs to 90 kgs of the crop.
It costs about Tk 9 to Tk 10 to produce each kg of potato, which is then sold for Tk 12 to Tk 13.
"We have benefited from potato cultivation this year," Islam said.
Mobarak Hossain, a potato trader in Kurigram town, said he was preparing to buy 1,000 tonnes of the popular vegetable.
He has already bought 700 tonnes of potato which are being kept in cold storage before being shipped abroad.
"There is no possibility of reducing potato prices," he said, adding that prices will continue to grow.
Ashikur Rahman Sohag, owner of a cold storage in Mandolerhat village of Lalmonirhat sadar upazila, said he is also buying potatoes from farmers and keeping them in cold storage.
It costs about Tk 250 to store each 60-kg bag of potato in his cold storage.
"The potato business has a bright prospect of making profit this year," he added.
Shamim Ashraf, deputy director of the DAE office in Lalmonirhat, said farmers were worried about potato yields this year due to unseasonal rains.
"But there was no shortage of yield. Farmers did not face any loss as they quickly drained rainwater from their fields," he said.
Ashraf went on to say that although farmers incurred extra costs for cultivation this time around, they still got the expected yields and prices.
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