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Hundreds of sweet potato growers in Natore are optimistic of getting a bumper yield this season.
They had a good output of the vegetable last year too, which spurred them into farming it on a larger area of land this year.
The local office of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said the vegetable has been grown on more than 340 hectares of land in Boraigram, Gurudaspur, Shingra, Bagatipara and Sadar upazilas of the district.
After getting a bumper production last year, the growers this year cultivated the vegetable with much enthusiasm from the first week of December, said farmer Anarul Islam (54) of Bagatipara upazila.
The farming will continue till the first week of January if weather conditions remain favourable, he added.
Sources said a farmer can produce around 20 mounds of fresh sweet potato on a bigha of land at a cost of Tk about Tk 5000, making a profit of Tk 15,000 to 20,000.
“I have cultivated sweet potato on two bighas of land this season spending Tk 9000 and am expecting Tk 43000 as profit,” said farmer Saiful Islam (32) of Gurudaspur upazila of the dsitrict.
He said, “I am expecting to harvest the crop in March.”
DAE Deputy Director Rafiqul Islam said the farmers are showing more interest in cultivating sweet potato due to the easy cultivation method and its satisfactory market price.
“We have also provided all the necessary inputs to make the cultivation a grand success,” he said.