RANGPUR, Oct 30, 2022 (BSS) - The government has fixed an all-time record 
target of producing 23,39,930 tonnes of potato from 92,675 hectares of land 
for all five districts in Rangpur agriculture region during the current Rabi 
season.

 Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said farmers 
have started sowing potato seeds after harvesting short duration varieties of 
Aman rice to harvest those from late November and earn more profits like in 
the previous years.
 
Talking to BSS, Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region 
Agriculturist Mohammad Shah Alam said sowing potato seeds will get further 
momentum with the progress in Aman rice harvesting and continue till December 
next.
 
The DAE, Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), Bangladesh 
Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) and other related organisations have 
started assisting farmers to make the intensive potato farming program a 
success.
 
"Tender plants of early varieties of potato are growing wonderfully on crop 
fields both in the mainland and riverine char areas amid favourable climatic 
conditions across the region," Alam said.
 
Farmers of different villages and Chandanpat union under Rangpur sadar 
upazila said that they are sowing early varieties of potato seeds after 
harvesting short duration Aman rice from the first week of the current month.
 
Farmers Mozammel Hossain, Akhil Chandra and Nurul Islam of Badarganj upazila 
in Rangpur said they have already completed sowing of early varieties of 
potato seeds and are expecting to harvest their cultivated potato from late 
November next.
 
Vegetable trader Hafizur Rahman at Rangpur City Bazar and Fazlur Rahman at 
Keranipara Kitchen Market in the city said early varieties of potato might 
appear from the middle of November next in the local markets.
 
Deputy Director (Leave Reserved) of the DAE at Khamarbari in Dhaka Abu Sayem 
said the DAE, BADC and other agriculture-related organisations have taken 
steps to provide quality potato seeds to the farmers for successful potato 
cultivation this season. 
 
"Field level officials of the DAE, other agriculture-related organisations 
and some NGOs are providing latest technologies to farmers for proper sowing 
of potato seeds and nursing tender potato plants to get maximum yield," he 
said. 
 
Independence Award-2018 (food security) winner Agriculturist Dr. Md. Abdul 
Mazid appreciated different initiatives taken by the government to assist 
farmers in enhancing production of potato and other winter crops during the 
current Rabi season.
 
Rangpur Chamber President of Mostafa Sohrab Chowdhury Titu stressed on 
establishing more agro-based industries in Rangpur region for preserving, 
producing and enhancing export of potato products to ensure fair prices of 
potato for farmers. 
 
"Rangpur region produces the country's highest quantity of potato every year 
creating a brighter prospect for local and foreign investors to set up agro-
based industries to produce a variety of potato products and fetch local and 
global markets," he added