NAOGAON, Jan 06: Cultivators and local agro-officials are expecting a bumper potato production across the district this season.
Sources at the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said, a total of 21,000 hectares of land have been brought under potato cultivation in the eleven upazilas of the district against the official target of 24,000 hectares of land.
The potato plants are now growing well amid a favourable climatic condition. The DAE officials are providing necessary suggestions to the farmers on the cultivation of potato during rough weather, the sources added.
Mehedi Hasan of Brozpur village under Atrai Upazila said, he cultivated Lalpapri variety of potato on 3.82 acres of land this year.
Seeing the excellent growth of the potato plants, I am very hopeful for getting a bumper production and handsome profit.
Peasant Abul Kalam Azad of Rasulpur village under the upazila informed he brought 2.65 acres of land under potato farming.
"I am expecting a good production of potato this year as the pest attack and foggy weather situation is not present this time", he added.
Agriculture officials said farmers in the district are trying to recoup the losses they incurred in the previous years due to flood and low price.
If this good climate condition prevails throughout the season, the potato farming will increase gradually in the area the next years, they added.
Deputy Director of Naogaon DAE Mojojit Kumar Mallik said the DAE and other agriculture related organisations have provided quality potato seeds and other necessary inputs to the growers to make the potato cultivation programme successful.
Farmers will get a bumper yield of the crop if the weather condition remains favourable till the harvesting, Mr. Mallik added.
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