KATHMANDU: Bara district in the current fiscal year 2023/24 has seen a significant potato production valued at Rs. 4.73 billion, according to Raj Narayan Prasad Sah, Chief of Agriculture Knowledge Centre in Bara. This remarkable yield amounts to about 118,296 tonnes of potatoes, cultivated across an area of 7,440 hectares. The average productivity stood at 15.9 tonnes per hectare, reflecting the substantial contribution of potato farming to the local economy.

Despite the allure of more profitable ventures like sugarcane and fish farming, farmers in Bara are increasingly turning to potato cultivation. Ram Jiban Thakur, an information officer and agricultural extension officer, highlighted that delayed payments in the sugarcane market have prompted this shift. This year, traders bought potatoes from farmers at Rs. 17 per kilogram and stored them, later selling them for Rs. 40-Rs. 50 per kg over the past two months.

Comparatively, last year's potato production stood at 121,062 tonnes from an area of 7,450 hectares, with a productivity rate of 16.5 tonnes per hectare. Thakur attributed a slight reduction in this year's yield to inadequate rainfall during the cultivation period. Despite this setback, potatoes remain a crucial cash crop for farmers in the region.

The surplus potatoes not consumed locally are purchased by traders from various cities including Birgunj, Hetauda, Chitwan, Pokhara, and Kathmandu. Farmers like Mishiri Lal Prasad Yadav and Laxmi Mahato have found potato farming to be a lucrative endeavor, with Yadav emphasizing its profitability and Mahato highlighting challenges such as selling potatoes at prices lower than the initial purchase cost of seeds.