Bhojpur Farmers Busy Harvesting and Storing Winter Potatoes

Bhojpur. Farmers here are currently busy storing their winter potatoes. As the potatoes planted in the fields mature, farmers can be seen working in the fields from early morning till evening to store the potatoes. In various villages across the district, farmers are engaged in digging up potatoes, sorting them into sacks, drying them, and bringing them into their homes.

Potatoes planted during the winter season are considered an important crop for farmers in the rural areas of the district. This crop fulfills the household food requirement and also serves as a source of cash income. Farmers, especially in the hilly regions of the district, prioritize potato cultivation during the winter season.

Farmers appear busy digging up and storing potatoes across almost all areas, including Bhojpur Municipality, Shadananda Municipality, and Temkemaiyung Rural Municipality. Some farmers are storing the harvested potatoes for household consumption, while the majority are preparing them for sale in the market.

According to Dhan Bahadur Thapa, a farmer from Bokhim, Bhojpur Municipality-5, potato farming yields substantial income, which is why farmers here have been increasingly attracted to it lately. "We can get income faster from potatoes compared to other crops," he said, "Since Bhojpur market is nearby, there is not much problem with selling. We are busy storing potatoes at this time."

Farmers complain about a shortage of laborers in the fields as the trend of young people leaving villages for foreign employment or moving to cities increases. Most farmers are carrying out the work of digging up and storing potatoes with the help of family members.

Traders say that potatoes produced in the district are sold in local markets as well as in neighboring districts and markets in the eastern Terai region. Farmers state that if proper market management and storage facilities are available, they can earn more income from potato farming.

According to the Agriculture Knowledge Center Bhojpur, a total of 51,900 metric tons of potatoes were produced in the district last year, including winter and monsoon crops. Potato cultivation is carried out in about 3,272 hectares of land in the district. Farmers say that if potatoes are harvested on time and stored safely, they will have food security throughout the year and can earn income by selling surplus production.