ZCZC
BSS-03
MANIKGANJ-SWEET POTATO
Sweet potato cultivation regaining its glory in Manikganj
MANIKGANJ, April 24, 2021 (BSS) – The cultivation of sweet potato is regaining its lost glory in Manikganj which disappeared from the district.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said a total of 135 hectares of land was brought under the sweet potato cultivation in all seven upazilas of the district during the current season exceeding its fixed target.
Earlier, the DAE has set a target to cultivate sweet potato on 120 hectares of land with a production target of 2,240 tonnes during the current season.
The harvesting of sweet potato has already been completed and the cultivators are happy to get its high price in the markets.
DAE sources said once Manikganj district was famous for sweet potato cultivation. Sometimes sweet potatoes were cultivated on about five thousand hectares of land in the district.
But the producers did not get their desired prices of the product and declined the cultivation of the potatoes. An elderly sweet potato cultivator Abdul Alim, 70, of Kusherchar village under Manikganj sadar upazila said “Some years back, we had to sell Taka 30-35 per mound of sweet potato here. As a result, we did not get profit by selling it in the market.”
Now sweet potatoes are used as one of the best vegetables. Now per kilogram (Kg) sweet potato is being sold at Taka 20-25 in the markets. Even early harvesting sweet potatoes was sold at Taka 40-50 per kg in the markets, he added.
Another sweet potato grower Ahmad Ali of Bishnupur village under Daulatpur upazila said “Sweet potato cultivation is easy and it needs no fertilizer and irrigation.”
The sandy and half-sandy land is suitable for sweet potato cultivation, the DAE office sources said, adding: “Sweet potato is a good food item to some people in the district.”
BSS/CORR/SSS/1209 hrs