Japanese sweet potato (KOKIE-14GO variety) has brought smiles on the faces of the farmers who farmed the variety on their land this year being motivated by the officials of the Shaghata and Gobindaganjupazila agriculture officials.

Office sources said, the officials of the upazila agriculture offices came to know that the sweet potato produced by the farmers would be purchased from the farmers at fair prices and then it would be exported to Japan through Bangladesh based an organization of Japan.

The officials thought that for exporting the variety to Japan the flood affected farmersof the upazilaswould be able to earn economic profit and for this it has the possibility to change their lots gradually.

The farmers would also be able to recover their losses caused by consecutive floods this year by farming the variety, the official mentioned.

Taking this in view, the officials of the upazila agriculture offices motivated the farmers to farm the variety on their land under Tuber Crops Development Project.

The officials also set up 30 demonstration plots under the project in the upazilas to inspire the farming of the variety so that they could farm the variety on their land in next seasons at larger scale.

Apart from it, more than 50 farmers of the upazilas farmed the variety on their land being inspired by the agri officials and the staff of Naruto, office sources said.

Like other farmers, Abdul Aziz Sarkar at Per Sonaidanga village under RakhalBuruj Union of Gobindaganjupazila in the district said, they farmed the variety on their land being motivated by the officials of Upazila Agriculture office and the staff of Naruto-Japanese company.

All sorts of agri inputs and technological supports were provided by the officials of the offices, said Abdul Aziz

As a result, bumper production of sweet potato had been achieved this year making the farmers happier about their produces, he also said.

Earlier, an agreement was done with the employees of Naruto Japanese company working in Bangladesh, he added.

As per the agreement the farmers who produced Japanese sweet potato (KOKIE-14GO variety) on their land this year successfully are selling their produced sweet potato to the staff of Naruto Japanese company.

The farmers are happy and satisfied as per maund (40 KGs) of sweet potato is being sold at Taka ranging from 450-500 depending on its quality and size.

Md. Sadequzzaman, Shaghataupazila agriculture officer told this correspondent that considering the welfare and economic benefit of the flood affected farmers the initiative to farm the variety had been taken.

The pilot programme on the farming of Japanese sweet potato had become successful as the farmers got bumper production of the variety for the first time, he also said.

To see the bumper production of the variety, many other farmers of the upazila are showing their interest to farm the variety in coming season, he added.

As the variety is being exported to Japan through Naruto Japanese company as a result, it has the bright prospect to change the lots of the farmers through this farming and to recover their losses caused by floods, he further added.

Md. Khaledur Rahman Kajal, Gobindaganjupazila agriculture officer as the farmers are so much happy to get bumper production of the variety and its fair prices, necessary measures had been taken to expand the farming of the variety in farmers’ level of the upazila in coming season.

Terming the variety as power house of Vitamin A and Beta Carotene which are essential for human body he urged the farmers to farm the variety on their land at the own initiative, he added.

Deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension agriculturist Masudur Rahman said, all the field level sub assistant agriculture officers of the district were imparted need base training so that they could give advices the interested farmers to farm the variety in next season to help the farmers change their lots economically.