Potato price is galloping in Bangladesh northern districts as the production faced a setback in the region this year, the result of high fertilizer prices and late blight.
A kilogram of potato is now selling in the retail markets at a rate double its price two weeks ago.
Regional Agriculture Office sources said potato production in Rangpur, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari districts fell short of target this year by 25 per cent as 22.5 lakh metric tons (MT) of potato have been produced in 1.68 lakh hectares of land in place of an expected 29.5 lakh MT.
Potato farmer Musa Khan of Panchpir village in Panchagara said he could not apply sufficient fertiliser in the sowing season due to high price. “This has caused poor yield of potato,” he added,
Mizanur Rahman Mojnu of Itakhola under Nilphamari Sadar upazila said he missed half of the production as his fields were attacked with leaf blight, a deadly fungal disease, due to dense fog
