Bangladesh: State Seed Agency Produced 44,182 Tonnes of Seed Potatoes Last Season
The Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation produced 44,181.7 tonnes of seed potatoes last season, about 31% of its total seed output of 144,232 tonnes.
The state seed agency of Bangladesh produced 44,181.7 tonnes of seed potatoes in the last production season. The figure comes from the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), The Business Standard reported on 23 September.
In total, BADC produced 144,231.9 tonnes of seed of all crops. Its target was 149,343.6 tonnes, so it reached about 97% of the plan.
Potato is the second largest seed crop
Seed potatoes made up about 31% of all BADC seed output. Only boro inbred rice seed was larger, at 50,597.4 tonnes. Aman rice seed followed with 24,918.2 tonnes. Wheat seed reached 11,966.8 tonnes.
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BADC works through 34 seed multiplication farms and 105,775 contract growers. It runs 31 processing centres and 100 sales centres. It also sells through 10,269 authorised dealers across the country.
The agency said its goal is to reduce dependence on imported seed and raise domestic production. This season it has also set first-time targets for domestic summer onion seed and jute seed.
Seed for the coming season
Potato planting in Bangladesh starts in late autumn, after the rainy season. Farmers buy seed from BADC, private companies and their own saved stocks. Certified seed from BADC is usually only part of what farmers plant. Much of the rest is farm-saved seed or seed bought from traders.
The coming season follows a difficult year. Large harvests pushed down prices, and many farmers struggled to find cold-store space. This may affect how much land they plant and how much certified seed they buy.
Why it matters
The quality of seed is one of the main limits on potato yields in Bangladesh. Certified seed from the state agency helps farmers control virus diseases and keep yields stable. The volume of state seed shows how much certified planting material is available before planting. Seed companies and importers can use the figure to judge the size of the market left for private and imported seed.
Photo: Farmers planting seed potatoes in Rangpur, Bangladesh (illustrative). Hridoye Mati O Manush Channel i / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
