Farmers in Rangpur division are happy with high price for their potato harvest this season.

However, the yield of potato has come down by 5-7 kilogrammes per decimal land this year as many farmers are harvesting potato earlier than usual in hope of fetching better price.

This year, potato has been cultivated by around one lakh farmers on 1,00,602 hectares of land in five districts under the division -- Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Nilphamari and Rangpur -- with a production target of 25,15,000 tonnes, according to sources at the Department of Agricultural Extension. 

By the first week of March, about 60 percent of potatoes have been harvested, the sources also said, adding that last year 24,33,000 tonnes of potatoes were produced from 97,327 hectares of land.

Talking to this correspondent, farmers said they are happy as they are getting Tk 21-24 for each kg potato in the market this year, compared to Tk 9-11 per kg last year.

They, however, said the yield was lower this year, with 85-95 kg per decimal land. Last year the yield was 90-100 kg per decimal land. 

"I produced 475 maunds of potatoes on two acres of land at a cost of Tk 1.5 lakh this year, and sold my harvest for Tk 4.1 lakh. Last year, I got 506 maunds of potatoes on two acres of land spending Tk 1.42 lakh and sold those for Tk 2.22 lakh," said Nazrul Islam, 65, a farmer from Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila.

Echoing the same, farmer Santosh Chandra Das, 60, of Kurigram Sadar upazila said the profit margin in potato cultivation is better this year due to higher price.

"Many farmers harvested potato early this year in hope of higher price so the yield is a bit lower," said Syeda Sifat Jahan, deputy director of DAE in Lalmonirhat.