Early Potato Farming Takes Root in Dinajpur as Growers Race for Premium Prices

Early potato cultivation is gaining momentum in Dinajpur, where farmers are preparing fields and planting early-maturing varieties in the hope of reaching the market ahead of the main winter harvest and commanding higher prices. According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), growers have so far planted early potatoes on roughly 3,500 hectares across 13 upazilas of the district, with the first harvest expected in early Agrahayan. Md Afzal Hossain, deputy director of the DAE, said the district has set a target of bringing 48,750 hectares under potato this season, including 12,250 hectares of early varieties, and that planting is expected to be completed within the next two weeks. Farmers are rushing to prepare their fields after harvesting short-duration Aman rice so they can get their produce to market before supplies from the main winter crop flood in. The race for an early harvest has become a defining feature of potato farming in the district, with growers betting that those who harvest first will earn comparatively better prices.

The shift is not without pressure. Farmer Nazrul Islam of Mahabbatpur village in Dinajpur Sadar said cultivation costs have risen this year on the back of higher prices for seed, fertiliser, pesticides and labour, though he remains hopeful of a good return from the early crop. Favourable weather has allowed farmers to harvest their short-duration Aman rice and immediately prepare the same land for potatoes, and sprouts have already begun appearing on fields planted 10 to 12 days ago, with growers applying fertiliser, levelling soil and earthing up plants to ensure healthy growth. Biral, Chirirbandar and Birganj are among the district’s main potato-growing areas, and early varieties such as Asterix, Cardinal, Lal Pakri, Romana and Diamond are typically ready for sale 55 to 65 days after planting. Seed prices, however, remain a concern: Lal Pakri seed potatoes are currently selling for around Tk55–60 per kg and Cardinal for about Tk50–55 per kg. Regional DAE deputy director Md Riaz Uddin noted that the Dinajpur region produces a record potato harvest every year, with more than half of the output supplied to Dhaka and other parts of the country, and said farmers are being encouraged to expand cultivation this year to meet growing demand.