RANGPUR, Jan 16: The growers of early cultivated potato in five districts under Rangpur agricultural region are in joyous mood owing to an excellent yield of the produce this season.
Sources said that the peasants of the region gave their optimum efforts to make potato cultivation a success this season and so far got satisfactory output of the crop that encouraged them to bring more lands under its farming in next season.
Harvesting of the popular vegetable is going on across the region and the cultivators are delighted due to good yield as well as satisfactory price of the crop.
According to Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Rangpur official sources potato was cultivated on around 91,620 hectares of land this season in the five districts under the region. The districts are Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat.
Sources said cultivation of potato and some other vegetables has brought financial solvency to the farmers of different areas under the upazila in recent years.
Shahin Mia, a farmer of village Rupshi village at Ranipukur union in Mithapukur upazila under Rangpur district told The Financial Express that farming of vegetable is more lucrative than cultivation of paddy and some other crops. He cultivated early potato on around one bigha of land this season and is happy to witness a good yield of the vegetable.
Sagir Ali, another farmer of Khansama village of Kawnia upazila said he has been cultivating potato for the last several years and earning good profit.
He said that he prefers vegetable farming than the cultivation of other crops because of huge profit. He has cultivated early potato on two bighas of land this season. During last few years he has been getting a good yield as well as expected profit from farming of the crop, he said.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Rangpur official sources said due to congenial weather condition and timely supply of necessary agri-inputs the growers are getting able to achieve expected output of the crop this season.
Our correspondent from Naogaon adds: Due to favourable weather conditions and timely supply of necessary agri-inputs, sweet potato farmers are expecting a bumper production in Mohadevpur Upazila under the district.
Experts said sweet potato is vitamin-A, C and mineral-enriched. It is also enriched with protein, carbohydrate, calcium, iron, carotene and vitamin B1 and B2.
Sweet potatoes also contain high amounts of fiber and potassium. They have more grams of natural sugars than regular potato but more overall nutrients with fewer calories, they added.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources said around 20 hectares of land have been brought under sweet potato cultivation in all ten unions of the Upazila this season.
Sweet potato farming has been exceeded by 500 hectares in the area this year as the growers were provided logistic support from the beginning of the season, the DAE sources added.
Upazila agriculture officials said hundred of farmers in Rodil, Sherpur, Mahishbathan, Ramcharanpur, Bakherabad, Uttargarm, Pathakatha, Fazilpur, Shibganj and Kunjaban areas under the upazila are engaged with sweet potato farming as its cultivation is proved more lucrative to them.
Growers can make a profit of Tk. 35,000 to Tk. 40,000 per bigha, the officials added.
Farmer Abdul Hamid of Gopalpur village under the upazila said he cultivated sweet potato on 2.1 acres of land. He is expecting over 40 to 50 maunds of yield from the cultivation.
Jahangir Alam Pramanik, Upazila Agriculture Officer, stated low production cost and easy cultivation process inspired the farmers of the upazila.
The farming will hopefully be expanded in the upcoming years with the necessary cooperation from the field level DAE officials.