By Our Correspondent
Sarlahi, Feb.1: Potato production in Sarlahi has declined significantly this year due to a short supply of fertiliser. Farmers, who have been cultivating potatoes commercially, have said that the production has decreased by half due to unavailability of chemical fertilisers in time.
They have complained that they have even failed to get a reasonable price for the potatoes this year.

Farmers had purchased potato seeds at Rs. 25 to Rs. 30 per kg at the time of plantation. But now, they are forced to sell potato at Rs. 15 per kilogram.
Potatoes produced by farmers here have not been able to get the reasonable price as potatoes are imported at cheaper prices from neighbouring India.

Farmer Ram Kumar Nepal of Barhathwa Municipality-1 Hazariya, said that the production of potatoes has decreased by half this year compared to last year.
He has been cultivating potatoes commercially for a long time. According to Nepal, potatoes have been cultivated in 15 katthas of land this year.
Although the potato production was 8 to 10 quintals per kattha last year, this year it was only 5 quintals per kattha, said Nepal.

He said that it was difficult to recover the expenses due to low production along with fall in its price.
He earned Rs. 125,000 by reducing expenses from potato sales last year. This year, he is able to earn only Rs. 90,000 from the sale of potatoes.

"It was very expensive to buy seeds and fertilisers. But now, the price of potatoes is low compared with the cost of seeds and fertiliser," Nepal said.
Similarly, Panilal Ram, a farmer of Bagmati Municipality-6, Rajghat, also said that it was difficult to collect the investment cost from potato farming this year. "Last year, we sold potatoes at Rs. 20 per kg. This year, we have to sell it at Rs. 15 per kg," he said.

When the farmers did not get urea and DAP fertilisers at the time of potato planting season, they bought low quality fertiliser smuggled to Nepal from India for Rs. 1,300 to Rs 1,500 per sack.
In Sarlahi, potato is cultivated commercially in Hazariya, Rajghat, Barhathwa, Manpur, Shankarpur and other areas in the north-western region.
According to the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Sarlahi, potato is cultivated in 1,400 hectares in the district.