The Bangladeshi Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has taken up an extensive plan to cultivate potato in all the seven Upazilas [subdistricts] of the district Gaibandha during the current Rabi [dry] season.

Offical sources said a total of 9372 hectares of land will be brought under this cultivation this year with the production target of 1, 64,010 metric tons of potato.

Of the total, some 250 hectares of land would be brought under the cultivation in Sadar Upazila, 1600 in Sadullapur Upazila, 800 in Palashbari Upazila, 5500 in Gobindaganj Upazila, 850 in Sundarganj Upazila, 250 in Saghata Upazila and 122 in Fulchhari Upazila in the district, sources said.

The DAE officials particularly sub-assistant agriculture officers in field level are motivating the farmers to cultivate potato on their land in large scale to meet its demand and to make the growers economically benefited.

Besides, the farmers are also being imparted training on potato cultivation by the department to make the programme a grand success.

Talking to the news agency, deputy director of DAE M Qurban Ali said an initiative has been taken to ensure seed, fertiliser, pesticides and other agri-inputs to the farmers to boost production of potatoes in the district this year.

Besides, different commercial banks including RAKUB are also distributing agri-loan on easy term to the growers, he added.