Nilphamari farmers turn to early potatoes to recoup losses

Farmers in Nilphamari are pinning their hopes on early-season potato varieties to recover losses incurred over the past two years due to falling market prices. Farmers across the district’s six upazilas have expanded cultivation of early varieties.

Ashraf Ali, 52, of Panial Pukur village in Kishoreganj upazila, said he had cultivated early potatoes on 20 bighas of land this year, hoping to secure better prices after suffering losses over the past two years.

“This variety can be harvested within 60 days of planting, compared with 90 days for other varieties,” he said. Another farmer, Nur Mohammad, 50, of the same village, said he had cultivated the variety on five bighas of land this year.

Although early potatoes had previously brought farmers higher profits, prices had fallen in recent years, turning the crop into a loss-making venture, he said.

The early variety remains available in the market for a short period and typically sells for Tk80–90 per kilogram. Farmers could recover their losses if prices reached Tk100–120 per kilogram, Nur Mohammad added.

Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Nilphamari Deputy Director and agriculturist Homayra Mondal said farmers in all six upazilas, Domar, Dimla, Jaldhaka, Kishoreganj, Saidpur and Nilphamari Sadar, cultivate early potato varieties every year but have faced losses over the past two years because of declining prices.

The district has set a potato cultivation target of 22,700 hectares this year, of which 8,300 hectares had been brought under cultivation so far, she said.