In the 2024–2025 Rabi season, sweet potato production in Bangladesh's Rangpur agricultural region reached 39,862 tons. Farmers across the five districts—Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, and Nilphamari—expressed satisfaction with local market prices ranging from approximately $11.85 to $12.75 per maund (Taka 1,300 to Taka 1,400), depending on variety and quality.
The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) had set a target of 44,617 tons from 1,895 hectares. However, only 1,653 hectares were cultivated due to increased land allocation for winter vegetables, maize, and potatoes. Despite the reduced cultivation area, this season's yield surpassed last year's production of 39,688 tons by 174 tons.
Md Shafikul Islam, Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur, noted a trend of char and riverside farmers expanding sweet potato cultivation on sandy-barren char lands and the mainland. "The sandy-loamy and sandy lands are suitable for sweet potato farming, which requires no fertilisers or irrigation," he stated.
Local farmers such as Nur Islam, Anwar Hossain, and Majibar Rahman from Char Mohipur, and Abdul Haque, Yasin Ali, and Mozaffar Hossain from Char Biswanath, reported high yields and profitable sales from their sandy char land cultivation.
Agriculturist Dr M A Mazid, an Independence Award recipient in the food security category, emphasized the nutritional value of sweet potatoes, noting their vitamin and mineral content. "Sweet potatoes contain vitamins A and C and minerals not found in rice. They are rich in protein, carbohydrates, calcium, iron, carotene, and vitamins B1 and B2, which are essential for the human body," he said.
Dr Mazid highlighted global consumption patterns, mentioning that sweet potatoes are used as a rice substitute in countries such as the Philippines and Papua New Guinea. He suggested that promoting sweet potato consumption in Bangladesh could reduce pressure on rice demand. "If we can get the general public into the habit of eating sweet potatoes, we can significantly reduce the pressure on rice," he added.
Source: BSS News
