Orange fleshed-sweet potato is being cultivated for the first time in the district's char areas.

About 1,200 farmers of Mogalbaha, Pachgachhi and Kurigram municipalities under Sadar upazila of the district are cultivating the sweet potato on 50 acres of land in various char areas, while an official of the International Potato Centre (CIP) is advising them.

First, branch-seeds are produced in the loamy land, and then they are planted in char lands. Farmer Nur Islam, 45, of Char Shitaijhar village in Mogalbasha union said, "I planted branch-seeds of the sweet potato in my ten decimals of land in

August last year at a cost of Tk 600 and sold the branch-seeds for Tk 1,300.1 am expecting 15 maunds of sweet potato from the land."

"The orange-fleshed sweet potato is being sold at Tk 800 per maund while other varieties of sweet potato are being sold atTk 600 per maund. 1 shall cultivate it in 50 decimals of land next year as it is a profitable crop, "he added.

Mizanur Rahman, 31, of Pangarchar village under Kurigram municipality said, "In August last year I planted branch-seeds in 1.5 acres of land where no crop would be cultivated before this. I spent around Tk 50,000 and sold the branch-seeds forTk 80,000. "I have already sold sweet potato for Tk

20,000 and will complete harvesting in the last week of February. I am expecting production of 150 maunds more," said Mizanur.

Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) first released two varieties - Bari SP-4 and Bari SP-8 -of the orange-fleshed sweet potato in 1994, but it was brought to the district in 2016.

Kurigram Civil Surgeon DrAminul Islam said, "The orange-fleshed sweet potato is a nourishing food containing vitamin A. Everyone, including diabetes patients, can take it"

Field Coordinator of CIP in Kurigram Mohidul Hasan said, "To reduce pressure on rice, ensure nutrition and increase income for poor people in char areas, the CIP

has started work on cultivation of orange-fleshed sweet potato here. Diabetes and diarrhoea can be controlled through taking the sweet potato. Besides, poor farmers could be benefited by cultivating it."

Kurigram Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Mohammad Kamruzzaman said people could overcome nutrition deficiency by eating the orange-fleshed sweet potato as it contains nutrients and vitamin A.

"Its output is better than other sweet potatoes. We are motivating people to cultivate the orange-fleshed sweet potato where other crops are not cultivated so they can get nutrition and be benefited economically," said Kamruzzaman.