Around 25,670 tonnes of sweet potatoes were produced from 1,055 hectares of land in seven upazila under Jamalpur district during the current harvesting season, officials said.
This year farmers brought 55 hectares more land under sweet potato cultivation against the target.
Farmers got 14,325 tonnes sweet potato from 573 hectares of land in Sarishabari upazila while 4,990 tonnes from 225 hectares of land in Islampur, 4,550 tonnes from 182 hectares of land in Madarganj, 765 tonnes from 30 hectares of land in Dewangaj, 365 tonnes from 15 hectares of land in Jamalpur Sadar upazila, 405 tonnes from 15 hectares of land in Bakshiganj, and 270 tonnes from 15 hectares of land in Melandah.
Farmers like Farid Hossain, Moslem Uddin, Sohel Rana from Sidhuli village in Madarganj upazila got handsome profits from sweet potato cultivation.
Farid Hossain, a sweet potato cultivator, said he got 70 maund sweet potato in a bigha of land, per maund sweet potato is being sold at Tk 700-750. He made a net profit per bigha of land, about Tk 37,000.
Md Shahadul Islam, agriculture officer of Madarganj upazila, said farmers are being motivated to cultivate sweet potato as a cash crop as well as nutritious food. He said it requires low production costs and it requires less irrigation, fertiliser, pesticide and nursing.
Per bigha production costs Tk 12,000-15,000 and yield comes from 70-75 maund and farmers can harvest the crop from 90-100 days, he added.
Zakia Sultana, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension, said farmers brought more land under sweet potato cultivation in the district this year due to the low cost of its cultivation.
Farmers in the char areas mostly cultivate sweet potatoes. On the other hand, the fair price of sweet potato also drove farmers to its cultivation, she added.
