Farmers in Dinajpur are not getting any potato seeds from Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), although they are supposed to get it according to the government regulation.
As the farmers are not being provided with the potato seeds, the cultivation of early variety potato is being delayed.
The farmers complained that early variety potato farming have already been delayed by 15 days due to not getting the potato seeds on time. They cannot get good quality seeds even if they buy them at a higher rate.
Moreover, the farmers do not know when BADC will supply the seeds. Thousands of farmer in Dinajpur district are worried about potato farming because of this.
BADC officials said although the farmers are not getting any potato seeds, they are giving the seeds to the dealers.
However, this is not helping the farmers either as they have to buy the seeds from the dealers or some private company at a higher rate. While the price of potato seeds set by government is maximum Tk 64 per kg, the farmers have to buy it at Tk 82 per kg from the dealers or other private sellers. They are facing financial losses because of this. The production is at risk as well.
The Ulipur, Mashimpur, Auliapur, Ghughudanga, and Gauripur areas in Dinajpur sadar are well-known for early potato cultivation. Many farmers have already planted seeds, while others have prepared their fields but are unable to plant due to a seed shortage. Even after approaching the government institution BADC, there has been no progress.
Farid Islam, an agricultural entrepreneur from Auliapur, said, we do not receive seeds from BADC, even though the government was supposed to supply them. Seeds are only provided on paper. In reality, BADC is not benefiting farmers at all. We are purchasing Sisain potato seeds at Tk 80 to Tk 82 per kg and Seven for Seven variety at Tk 62 to Tk 64 per kg. Meanwhile, sources from district BADC office said farmers can collect potato seeds from BADC under the government’s programme. The price for Sunshine variety seeds has been set at Tk 54 to Tk 64 per kg, and Seven for Seven variety seeds at Tk 50 Tk 61 per kg for farmers. However, farmers are not receiving these seeds, forcing them to buy seeds externally at higher prices than the set rates.
Sirajul Islam from Ulipur area said the early variety potato farming is yet to be started as there was rain and the farmers did not get any seeds. The cultivation has been delayed by at least 15 days. Despite this, we hoped to receive seeds and expected BADC to provide assistance, but they didn’t. Even after paying, we didn’t get high-quality seeds. In the end, we were forced to buy low-quality seeds at a higher price. I spoke with BADC officials several times, but they gave no response.
According to district Department of Agricultural Extension, 1,159,175 metric tonnes of potatoes were produced in 45,500 hectares in the district in 2022-fiscal year and15% among them was from early potato cultivation. However, many farmers were unable to plant early potatoes this year due to a lack of seed availability.
When the Deputy Director of district BADC, Abdur Rashid, was asked about the issue, he said Potato seeds are sold at both the farmer and dealer levels. However, they are provided to dealers first and then distributed to farmers based on their applications.
When asked why seeds were given to dealers before farmers, he said seeds distribution to dealers started on September 3 and the farmers were supposed to get the seeds from September 23. In response to why the seeds were given to farmers so late, he replied this is how the seeds are distributed.
