Joypurhat, a northern district that depends on farming, grows potatoes on 80 per cent of its farmland. The country's second-largest potato-producing district has again had a bumper harvest this year, with potatoes planted on more land than targeted. Adequate supplies of seed, fertiliser and pesticide, little disease and favourable weather produced a good crop. After meeting local demand, Joypurhat potatoes are being supplied to other districts and upazilas and exported to various countries, and good market prices are bringing growers a profit.

The potatoes grown in Joypurhat include the high-yielding varieties Musica, Diamond, Asterix, Cardinal, Rosetta and Courage, and the local Pakri types Tel-Pakri, Pahari-Pakri, Bot-Pakri and Fata-Pakri. This year Musica, Diamond, Asterix, Cardinal and Rosetta were grown on more land than targeted.

The district agricultural extension department said potatoes were grown on 38,325 hectares this year. The production target was set at 950,683 tonnes, but the department expects it to be exceeded.

Of the district's five upazilas, Kalai produces the most potatoes. In Kalai municipality and Matrai, Udaypur, Punat, Zindarpur and Ahammedabad unions, the target this season was 10,800 hectares, but 200 hectares more were planted: 10,650 hectares of high-yielding varieties and 350 hectares of local Pakri. Including land lease, seed, ploughing, fertiliser and pesticide, irrigation, weeding, earthing up and lifting, costs averaged Tk 12,000-14,000 per bigha (33 decimals).

In Joypurhat's markets, early potatoes sold at up to Tk 600-700 a maund depending on variety. As supply rose, prices eased to Tk 500-600. At present potatoes sell at retail for Tk 600-800 a maund depending on variety. If the market holds, farmers can make a profit of Tk 18,000-25,000 a bigha.

With a bumper crop, Joypurhat potatoes are being supplied after local demand to Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Khulna, Bagerhat, Pirojpur, Barishal, Bhola, Noakhali, Gopalganj, Feni, Chattogram and other districts and upazilas. Kalai potatoes are also being exported to Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Russia and other countries.

Traders buy about 4,000-5,000 maunds of potatoes of various varieties every day from 10-15 places in Kalai upazila. Exporters' representatives also collect mature potatoes from fields across the upazila, sort them and pack them in yellow net bags. Exports have pushed up demand for potatoes, and good prices have put smiles on local growers' faces.

Abdul Kader, a potato farmer from Aplapara village in Kalai, said he grew Asterix and Cardinal on 8 bighas. Production cost about Tk 14,000 a bigha, and he harvested about 100 maunds a bigha. He sold the potatoes to the agent of a foreign company and, after all costs, made a profit of about Tk 45,000 a bigha at current market prices.

Razzak, a potato farmer from Durgapur village in Kalai, said he sold Musica potatoes from two bighas to an agent of Malaysia's Masawa company at Tk 550 a maund, and was very happy with the good price this year.

Md Bashed and Rafiqul of Nandaildighi village in Kalai, potato-buying agents for Malaysia's Masawa company, said they must buy about 400 maunds of potatoes of various varieties every day at Tk 16 a kg to meet the company's demand, and will continue buying until March this year.

Farmers Mofazzal Hossain of Bombu village in Joypurhat Sadar, Amjad Hossain of Alampur union in Khetlal upazila, Lokman Mia of Tilakpur village in Akkelpur upazila and several farmers of Fiskaghat in Panchbibi said yields ranged from 70 to 100 maunds a bigha depending on variety.

Wholesaler Ahammad Hossain of Notunhat bazar in Joypurhat municipality, retail potato seller Badiuzzaman of Machhuabazar and many other sellers in the district said prices have started to fall as supply rises, and could fall further once the main harvest comes in during March.

Kalai upazila agricultural extension officer Md Asaduzzaman said supplies of seed, fertiliser and pesticide and favourable weather have produced a bumper crop in the upazila this year. Farmers are very pleased with the prices, and the potatoes are being exported after meeting local demand. He said more potatoes will be grown in future as a result.

Md Akhtaruzzaman, additional director (crops) of the Joypurhat district DAE, said potatoes are a short-duration crop. Farmers profited from potatoes last season, and this year too the harvest is bumper and farmers are getting good prices.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.