121,062 metric tonnes of potato produced in Bara

By Shivshankar Mishra, Bara, Jan. 26: A total of 121,062 metric tonnes of potatoes have been produced in Bara district in the current financial year 022/023. 

Jitendra Yadav, head of Krishi Gyan Kendra, Bara, informed that farmers produced 121 thousand metric tonnes of potatoes of different varieties in 7,450 hectares of land. He also said 16 metric tonnes of potato was produced per hectare.

Farmers were attracted towards cash crop 'sugarcane' cultivation and fish farming as it had huge benefits with less investment. Gradually, they switched to potato farming from sugarcane as they could not get payments of their products on time. 

"Potato cultivation increased in 30 hectares of land this year. It used to be cultivated on 7,420 hectares of land last year," he added. A total of 1,18,720 metric tonnes of potatoes were produced last year in 7,420 hectares of land. 

Yadav further said potatoes could be cultivated only in the season when the moisture in the field is low. Potato production decreases if the land is not appropriate.

According to him, two varieties of potato -- Shivchalis and Lalmuni -- are produced more here. "Two varieties of potatoes are cultivated in most places. And potatoes produced are sold at 20-25 rupees per kg in nearby markets," he said. Uchidih, Hariharpur, Golaganj, Amritganj, Devapur, Bhagwanpur, Piparpati, Bariyarpur, Matiarwa and other places of the district are pocket areas for potato production.

Similarly, Birendra Mandal, a farmer in Kalaiya-13, said that even though potato is being sold at 20-25 rupees per kg in the market, the traders are buying it from us at 17-18 rupees.

Another farmer Awadhkishore Mahato also said that he had to sell potatoes at half the price of potato seeds. While buying a quintal of seeds, it costs 3,600 rupees, now we have to sell potatoes at 17, 18 hundred rupees per quintal.

"A good farmer does not consider profit and loss about  any crop, he buys seeds at a high price when planting, and sells them at the same price that remains after the harvest," he said.