Potato yield doubles in 2 northern dists

Farmers in Thakurgaon and Panchagarh districts are now selling potato at cheaper prices after attaining its bumper production in the current season.
This is because of lack of adequate storage facilities in the two districts.
About 6.75 lakh tonnes of potato were produced in the two districts this season surpassing the target of 3.20 lakh tonnes.
Potato was cultivated on 24,725 hectares of land against the target of 13,290 hectares with production target of 2,34,701 tonnes in Thakurgaon, sources in the Agriculture Extension Department (AED) said.
In Panchagarh, potato was cultivated on 9,500 hectares of land against the target of 6,500 hectares with production target of 1,17,000 tonnes, they said.
Seven cold storages in Thakurgaon have a capacity to preserve 39,784 tonnes of potato only, DAE officials said. There is no cold storage in Panchagarh.
Each kilogram of potato is now being sold at between Tk10 to 12 in local markets. Big merchants and middlemen are buying potato at random, according to market sources.