NAOGAON, Dec 29: Commercial cultivation of 'ol kochu' (elephant foot yam), is expanding fast in the district due to its increased demand.
Sources said there is a high demand for this tuber variety crop in the market.
It is good for health as it is rich in starch and can be processed like potato.
This yam variety is used to prepare different kinds of delicious food items as it is easily digestible. It is also a good source of quality minerals and vitamins.
Officials at the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in the district said encouraged by good yield of 'ol kachu' and its fair prices, farmers have cultivated the vegetable on a large scale this year.
Around 150 hectares of land have been brought under the cultivation of 'ol kochu' this season. Local, Jashori and Madrasi are the most popular varieties, DAE officials added.
Ekhlas Uddin and Ali Hossain of Harirampur village under Naogaon Sadar said once people of the area cultivated 'ol kochu' at homesteads only.
Now the vegetable is grown on a vast tract of land considering its high demand and good prices.
One can get around 110 to 120 maunds of 'ol kochu' from a bigha of land. Each maund of the item is being sold at Tk 1,200 to Tk 1,300 in the markets, said Abul Kashem of Kirtipur village.
The cultivation process of the vegetable is easy.
A farmer can make a profit of about Tk 100,000 to Tk 110,000 by cultivating the item from a bigha of land, he added.
"'Ol kochu' cultivation process is easy and cheap. It is also profitable. It requires very little irrigation and small amount of fertiliser", said Monojit Kumar Mallik, deputy director of Noagaon DAE.
Farmers are making handsome profit cultivating the crop each year, Mr Mallik said expressing the hope that the cultivation would be double next year.
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