BOGURA, Apr 10: A good number of farmers in the twelve upazilas of the district are worried over the low market price of potato this year.
Farmers said Fata Pakri, Diamond, Telpakri and some others potato varieties are selling at low rate. The production cost was high, they said.
"Such low rate is disheartening. We do not even have the option to repay our loans", they said.
Moreover, many growers expressed their anxiety about meeting the expenditure for Boro cultivation as well as other summer crops.
During a recent visit at Mohasthan Haat, this correspondent found the farmers were selling a kg of potato at Tk 8.0 to Tk 12 in the retail market and Tk 7.0 to Tk 10 in the wholesale market.
Farmer Nizam Uddin of Dawkola village under Bogura Sadar said, "It was a wrong decision of mine to grow potato this season. I am counting heavy loss from it."
"I have incurred some Tk 15,000 loss growing potato on three bighas of land this year." he said.
Soleman Hossain of Velurpara village under Sonatola upazila said he got 200 maunds of potato from three bighas of land. His production cost was Tk 60,000 but he got Tk 50,000 from the sale of the produce.
The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) official sources said over 75,000 tonnes of fresh potato have been produced in the district against some 60,000 tonnes target.
