Farmers in Dumuria, Khulna, are seeing success with sweet potatoes. This year, under the Tuber Crops Development Project, sweet potatoes were grown for the first time on one hectare in Dumuria upazila. Farmers are very pleased with the BARI Mishti Alu 8 and 12 varieties.

Mrityunjoy, a farmer from Kalikapur village in Dumuria, told Banglanews that for the first time he received vines and fertiliser from the agriculture office and grew BARI Mishti Alu 12 on 20 decimals. On land that, because of salinity, used to grow only one crop and lie fallow after Aman, he harvested 62 maunds. With low production costs and good prices, many farmers will grow it in future, he said.

Ranjit Mondal, a farmer from Salua village, said that with demonstration support and training he grew BARI Mishti Alu 8 for the first time on 20 decimals and harvested 42 maunds. The market price is better than for ordinary potatoes and the risk is lower, so the crop will spread further, he said.

Farmers said they are making a profit with little investment on the advice of the upazila agriculture office. Demand for sweet potatoes has grown in recent years and prices are good. Sweet potatoes need little fertiliser, so costs are low, and the crop suffers few diseases, so it gives good returns for little capital and labour. That is why farmers in the upazila are dreaming of changing their fortunes with it.

Agriculture officials said the crop is high-yielding, with low risk and few pests and diseases, and brings good profit at low cost.

Dumuria upazila agriculture officer Md Mosaddek Hossain told Banglanews that it is a short-duration, highly nutritious, high-value vegetable. The weather and soil of Dumuria suit it and the risk is low. Because it covers the soil, moisture stays in the ground for a long time, weeds are fewer and its rotting leaves make excellent manure.

He said that to spread the crop, the office is giving farmers regular training and demonstration support under the Tuber Crops Development Project, and the area under it will grow in future.

Md Mokhlesur Rahman, project director of the Tuber Crops Development Project, told Banglanews that tuber crops used to grow scattered and neglected in gardens and thickets, though they are safe and high-value. Through the project, farmers are being trained and supported for commercial cultivation and to create entrepreneurs, and work is also under way on exports so farmers get fair prices.

Source: Banglanews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.