Hassan farmers begin sowing seed potato

Good rain makes them hopeful of high yield

Hassan Karnataka May 25.
 Sowing of seed potatoes has begun in several parts of Hassan following rains in the last two weeks. Photo by Prakash Hassan

Farmers, who are happy with the good rain received recently in several parts of Hassan, have begun sowing seed potato.

Compared to the last two years, this year the highest quantity of seed potato have arrived in APMC market in Hassan, as the demand is high. Farmers are hoping for a good return this year.

According to officials at Hassan APMC, this year 6.01 lakh bags of seed potato have reached the town for sale. Till Wednesday, farmers have purchased 3.42 lakh bags. Once monsoon sets in, the demand for seed potato is expected to go up. In 2016, the total number of bags sold was 5.53 lakh and in 2015 it was 4.5 lakh. This year, the highest number of seed potatoes is on sale in Hassan.

Hassan district has received good rain in May. Against the normal of 82.3 mm of rainfall, the district recorded 121 mm of rainfall.

Sale of seeds

“Good rain in the last two weeks has prompted us to take up sowing. I am hopeful the yield will be good this time,” said Raje Gowda, a farmer of Jodigubbi village in Arkalgud taluk.

The Horticulture Department has also procured 2,010 tonnes of certified seeds from Jalandhar in Punjab and sold them to farmers who had registered their names in advance.