MYAGDI: Potato production in Myagdi district has increased by nine percent this year compared to the previous year.
According to the Agricultural Knowledge Center, a total of 35,000 metric tons of potatoes have been produced across 1,820 hectares of land, with an average yield of 19.5 metric tons per hectare.
Sanjeev Bastola, head of the center, attributed the rise in production to the expansion of cultivated area, favorable weather conditions, and the absence of major pests and diseases. In the previous fiscal year 2024/25, the district had produced 31,450 metric tons of potatoes on 1,750 hectares of land.
The center reported that potatoes worth over Rs 100 million are sold annually from Myagdi to markets in Pokhara, Kathmandu, and other cities. Farmers typically sell potatoes directly from the fields at an average price of Rs 40 to 45 per kilogram.
Buddhibir Pun, a farmer from Annapurna Rural Municipality-7, said that consistent rainfall, adequate irrigation, and favorable weather contributed to the higher yields this year.
He also noted that potatoes grown in the cooler climates of the Lekali region are tastier and more nutritious, leading to strong demand from outside the district.
Potatoes are widely cultivated in areas such as Sikh, Khibang, Ramche, Kafaldanda, Nangi, Histan, and Paudwar in Annapurna Rural Municipality; Kuinemangle, Darmija, Chimkhola, and Thadakhani in Raghuganga Rural Municipality; and Bhakimli in Beni Municipality. With improved road access, potatoes produced in these remote villages are now reaching broader markets.
Last year, 1,085 metric tons of potatoes were produced under the Food Potato Promotion Program, which operated across 1,300 ropanis of land.
According to Bastola, the center provided Rs 8.764 million in subsidies for seeds, mechanization, irrigation infrastructure, packaging, and transportation to three cooperatives and 27 farmer groups.
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