Potatoes worth Rs. 2.5 billion produced in Taplejung

By Our Correspondent,Taplejung, Sept. 22: Potato production increased in the district during the last fiscal year.

According to the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Taplejung, a total of 55,279 tonnes of potatoes have been produced in the district in the last fiscal year. 

In the previous fiscal year 2021/22, a total of 55,176 tonnes of potatoes were produced in the district.

Binaya Maharjan, information officer of the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, said farmers cultivated potatoes in 4,270 hectares of land in the district in the last fiscal year.

He said that the production of potatoes increased in the last year compared to the previous financial year due to an increase in the area of potato cultivation.

Farmers cultivated potatoes in only 4,264 hectares of land in the previous fiscal year 2021/22, he said.

According to the Centre, the productivity of potatoes last year was 12.95 tonnes per hectare.

Farmers said that most of the potatoes produced in the district are consumed within the district and only a small quantity is supplied outside the district.

The potatoes worth Rs. 2.5 billion were produced in the district last year as the average price of potatoes in the district was Rs. 45 per kg.

According to Santosh Thapa Magar, chief of Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Taplejung, farmers are making a good income by producing potatoes because the demand and price of local varieties of potatoes is good.

He said that farmers are attracted towards the cultivation of potatoes after getting good income from potato cultivation.