Potatoes produced in Dinajpur are being exported. Photo: BSS

DINAJPUR, June 29, 2025 (BSS) - Potatoes produced in Birganj of the district 
are being exported to different countries including Malaysia across the 
globe. 

Birganj Upazila Agriculture Officer Md. Shariful Islam said in the current 
season, potatoes have been cultivated on 10,592 hectares of land in the 
upazila which is 1,032 hectares more than the previous year. 

Farmers in this region are experiencing satisfaction due to good yield of 
potato and its higher export price. 

Mainly, Sunshine and Kumarika varieties of potatoes are being exported in 
different countries across the world including Malaysia. 

Potatoes are being purchased directly from marginal farmers and sent to 
various countries through processing. Currently, men and women here are busy 
sorting and packing potatoes. 

The agriculture officer also said that 273 metric tons of potatoes have been 
exported from the upazila so far. 

Faruk Hossain, a potato farmer from Mohammadpur union of the upazila, said, 
"This year, I cultivated Sunshine and Kumarika varieties of potatoes on five 
acres of land. It cost about Taka six lakh. I sold it for Taka 13 lakh. 
However, I had to spend more on spray and pesticides on potatoes than last 
year. So the cost of cultivating potatoes this year has been a little higher. 
Even then, I was able to sell the potatoes at a good price this year because 
those went abroad." 

Farmers Shahidul Islam and Abdur Razzak from Muraripur village in the upazila 
cultivated potatoes on seven and a half acres of land. Since the government 
has created an opportunity to export potatoes outside the country at the 
beginning of this month, they have benefited by selling potatoes at a good 
price. 

Deputy Director of Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Md. Afzal 
Hossain said farmers got bumper production of potato this year. As a result, 
measures were taken to export potatoes at the initiative of the Ministry of 
Agriculture and Commerce. 

Farmers have received the real value of their acquired potatoes as the 
opportunity to export has been created, so they are quite happy. Along with 
this, interest in potato cultivation has also increased among the farmers, he 
added.