Unfavourable weather worries potato growers in N-dists

potato farmers worried as germination from planted seeds is being hindered.

Officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in the region say cultivation of the vegetable may be affected by the rise of temperature in the winter season.

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Farmers in Mahiganj, Topodhon, Kounia and Baderganj in Rangpur district said potato plants are dyeing due to sudden rise in temperature. Similar reports were also received from other districts in the region.

The DAE officials and farmers said potato cultivation needs chilly wind and foggy weather. They had bumper yield last year as the sun remained covered with fog for around six hours a day on an average.

The density of fog is very thin this year and the sun remains covered only for 2-3 hours a day in the morning, they said.

"We have nothing to do except waiting for low temperature for potato cultivation", Rangpur DAE Deputy Director Aynul Haque told this correspondent.

Officials of local meteorological department said the temperature this weather in the region is more this year. It unprecedented in ten years. They said fog is lesser due to higher humidity in air.

According to DAE, the target was to bring about 1,13,000 hectares of land under potato cultivation in eight districts under Ragpur agriculture region this season to produce 16,95,000 tons of potato. But only 70 per cent of the target has been fulfilled as many farmers did not go for potato cultivation after the paddy harvest because of the unfavourable weather, the DAE officials said.