Farmers in Mirsarai upazila of Chattogram are profiting from sweet potatoes, and are growing more interested in the crop by the day. It is grown mostly on wide chars, especially sandy ones, while the area under it on other land is also increasing. Following the upazila agriculture office's advice, farmers are seeing profits from small investments, earning extra income from sweet potatoes alongside paddy and vegetables.

According to the Mirsarai upazila agriculture office, sweet potatoes have been grown on about 30 hectares in the upazila this year, most of it in the Paschim Joar area of Karerhat union along the bank of the Feni river. They have also been grown in various unions including Moghadia. Sweet potato is a highly nutritious crop, and tuber crops generally do well in sandy soil.

On a visit to Paschim Joar in Karerhat union, local farmers were seen to have planted sweet potatoes across a wide sandy char, with potato fields as far as the eye can see. Some farmers were irrigating, others tending the crop. The char land once lay empty, but now farmers grow sweet potatoes there. Harvesting has already begun and the crop is on sale in the market. The reporter spoke to local farmers Alamgir Hossain, Mostafizur Rahman, Firoz Hossain and Mobarak.

Alamgir Hossain said: "This year I grew sweet potatoes on 200 decimals. It cost me about one lakh taka. I have already sold one lakh taka's worth of potatoes and hope to sell another Tk 3 lakh worth." He added: "Potatoes are now selling at Tk 1,200 a maund. At least two tonnes are lifted from the field at a time. Then I take them by pickup to Feni town and sell them wholesale."

Farmer Mobarak Hossain said: "This time I grew 260 decimals of sweet potatoes. Alhamdulillah, the yield has been good. The potatoes from our land contain no chemicals or formalin, so there is good demand for them. I have been growing sweet potatoes for about 10 years. At other times of the year I grow paddy and vegetables, and at this time I grow sweet potatoes on that land. I take the harvest by pickup van to Feni, Cumilla Chowmuhani and Nimsha Bazar to sell."

He added: "Each potato weighs from 300 grams to two kilograms. This time it cost me about two lakh taka, and I hope to sell Tk 5 lakh worth of sweet potatoes."

Mostafizur Rahman, a grower in Paschim Joar, said: "I have been in farming for 15 years. This time I grew sweet potatoes on one and a half acres. If the weather stays favourable, I hope to make a profit of Tk 1.5 to 2 lakh."

Sub-assistant agriculture officer (Block No. 1, Bhalukia) Sabiha Umme Tasnim Promi said: "We are working to bring all fallow land under cultivation so that no land in the area lies fallow. These river chars used to lie fallow, but now sweet potatoes, radish, potatoes, aubergines and sweet pumpkins are grown on them. Farmers have already seen the benefits. We are giving help at all times."

The upazila agricultural extension office said sweet potatoes need little fertiliser, and the crop suffers from few diseases, so it gives more profit for little capital and labour. Sweet potato growing is especially profitable in char areas.

Karerhat union parishad chairman Enayet Hossain Nayan said: "Most people in my union are involved in farming. At various times I personally help farmers, alongside the upazila agriculture office. For the past 8-10 years I have seen farmers profit from growing sweet potatoes on the wide chars of my village, Paschim Joar."

Mirsarai upazila agriculture officer Pratap Chandra Roy said: "Sweet potato cultivation is increasing day by day in Mirsarai upazila, and it has become quite popular especially in char areas. Farmers have to spend less than on other crops, and the market price is good. Farmers have brought wide sandy areas under sweet potatoes. As the area's soil and weather suit the crop, farmers are getting good yields."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.