JAMALPUR, Jan 20, 2024 (BSS) - Farmers are expecting 29510 tones sweet potato production in the district this year, a sharp rise of 1157 tones than the previous year.

Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) office sources said 1097 hectares of land came under sweet potato cultivation in the district this year which is 43 hectares more than the cultivation target.

They said farmers cultivated 13 varieties of sweet potato seed in the district this year.

The varieties are BARI-2, BARI-3, BARI-4, BARI-8, BARI-9, BARI-14, Tripti, kamola Sundari, Murasaki, Okinawa, KKE-14, parpal star and local.

Sarishabari Upazila Agriculture Officer Anup Sinha said farmers brought a large number of lands in Char areas under sweet potato cultivation here.

He said expecting profitable, farmers are bringing more land under this crop cultivation in the Upazila.

He also said farmers cultivated sweet potato on 580 hectares of land in Sarishabari Upazila.
 
Sources said farmers who cultivated early variety sweet potato have started harvesting and per maund (40 kilogram) sweet potato is being sold at Tk 1200 to Tk 1400 in local market.

Farmers cultivated sweet potato on 230 hectares of land in Islampur, 190 hectares in Madarganj, 48 hectares in Dewanganj, 20 hectares in Bakshiganj, 15 hectares in Melandah and 14 hectares in Jamalpur Sadar Upazila.
 
Deputy Director of DAE Zakia Sultana said farmers are interested in this crop cultivation due to less production cost and fair price.

It requires less irrigation, fertilizer and pesticide, she added.