BOGURA, Aug 12: Sticky Hagrai potato is set to disappear from the district in the face of hybrid potatoes.
Farmers are no longer cultivating this species like before on the ground of less yielding and long time period.
The species originated in Bogura. Also its price is higher than other species. The taste is also higher than others.
Hagari potato can be cooked with meat. This mixed curry is a popular recipe in he district.
It was learnt, Hagrai potatoes were exported 10 years back.
Its quality and taste are different. Visitors from other districts take away Hagari potato along with GI recognised curd of Bogura.
Agriculturists said, if production and quality of the species would be kept, it might get GI recognition.
If Hagrai potato would be researched and farmers would be encouraged, the species could have made a good market in world, they added.
At present, farmers are cultivating hybrid species including Asterix, Queen Anne, Granula, and Sunshine; these species yield much and require less time.
Assistant Agriculture Officer of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE)-Bogura Farid Uddin said, the cultivation of Hagrai species has decreased to 175 hectares (ha) this year from 400 ha in the last year.
In the last year, the Hagrai production was 44,000 metric tons (mt). But this year the production can be 4,500 mt, said DAE's Deputy Director Motlubur Rahman.
Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation imported Queen Anne potato from the Netherlands, said District Seed Certification Officer Shahaduzzaman.
A grower of Bholakhanr Chak Mahalla Shahinu Alam said, "Farmers have lost interest in cultivating Hagrai. It takes 90 days to lift Hagrai Potato.
That is why hybrid species of Netherlands' Asterix, Queen Anne, Granula, and Sunshine are cultivated. Per bigha production of these species stands at 60-100 maunds"
Farmer Shahinur Rahman said, farmers' interest is in the species which yield much in short time; that is why they are shifting away from less yielding and longer time-requiring species.
If the Hagrai species is not protected through research as tradition, the species will disappear, said farmers and agriculturists.
