Sweet potato cultivators expect bumper yield in Natore

NATORE, Jan 1: Hundreds of sweet potato growers in Natore are optimistic of getting a bumper yield of the vegetable in the current season.

The cultivators are satisfied with the timely supply of necessary agricultural inputs, said sources.

According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) office sources, a large number of peasants of Boraigram, Gurudaspur, Shingra, Bagatipara and sadar upazilas of the district have brought over 340 hectares of land under sweet potato cultivation in this current season.

After getting a bumper production last year, the growers this year have started cultivating the vegetable with much enthusiasm from the first week of December, said farmer Anarul Islam (54) of Bagatipara upazila.

The farming will be continued till the first week of January if weather condition remains favourable, he added.

Sources said around 20 maunds of fresh sweet potato can be grown on one bigha of land spending about Tk 5000 and the approximate profit will be Tk 15,000 to 20,000.

"I have brought two bighas of land under sweet potato cultivation in this season spending Tk 9000 and expecting Tk 43000 as profit," said farmer Saiful Islam (32) of Gurudaspur upazila of the dsitrict.

Deputy Director of DAE, Rafiqul Islam said the farmers are showing more interest in cultivating sweet potato due to the easy cultivation method and satisfactory market price.

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