Banke farmer produces 800 quintals of potato seeds

By Siraj Khan, Nepalgunj, Apr. 5: Jaypal Maurya, a farmer from Hirminiya of Duduwa Rural Municipality-6 in Banke, has produced 800 quintals of potato seeds this year.

The 43-year-old farmer, who received the President’s Farmer Award last year, said that he cultivated potato seeds on 101 kattha of land this year and achieved a production of 800 quintals.

Maurya, who has been active in agriculture for two decades, said that the potato seed yield has been very good this year. 

He said that the produced seeds have been stored in a cold storage facility built by the local government.

According to him, the significant increase in production is due to the cultivation of the improved verity 'cardinal' of potato seeds over a larger area. 

In previous years, this variety was cultivated on a limited scale, but this year it was planted on more land, resulting in higher production.

He said that around Rs. 500,000 was invested in potato seed production.

 During the planting season, the seeds will be taken out from cold storage and sold at Rs. 35 to 55 per kilogram. 

He expects total income worth Rs.1.2 million from the sale of this production.

According to farmers, potato seeds planted in late Kartik or Mangsir take about 90 to 120 days to be ready for harvest. 

The cold storage charges Rs. 4 per kilogram. Cold storage facilities are available in Duduwa as well as in Kohalpur.

Chief of the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Banke, Binod Ghimire, said that they have provided potato seeds at a 50 per cent subsidy to farmer Maurya.

 He said that the seeds were produced from improved pre-basis seed (PBS) and that production has been very good this year.

Similarly, Senior Horticulture Development Officer Santosh Pathak said that farmers must undergo proper training to produce quality potato seeds. 

According to him, PBS seeds brought from Sindhupalchowk have been yielding good production in Banke.

Farmers in the district informed that grading of the produced potato seeds is currently underway.