The farmers in a field-day on elephant foot yam (Ol Kochu) were urged to bring additional land under the farming of this tuber crop to strengthen their socio-economic state as it has potentials.
Additional Director of Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) of Jashore region Dipak Kumar Roy urged to the farmers to cultivate the tuber crop while he was speaking as the chief guest at the field-day programme at Basantapur village under Shailkupa upazila of Jhenaidah on Wednesday.
It was presided over by Deputy Director of the DAE in Jhenaidah, Sasti Chandra Roy. DAE Additional Deputy Director Anisuzzaman Khan and upazila agricultural officer Arifuzzaman also attended the programme as special guests. The field day was organized under the tuber crops development project of the DAE in 2024-25 fiscal year.
DAE Additional Director Dipak Kumar Roy said a farmer hardly can earn Tk 7,000 to Tk 8,000 from one Bigha of land cultivating other crops. On the other hand, a farmer can earn Tk 1.5 lakh by cultivating the elephant foot yam locally known as ‘Madrazi Oal’ from one Bigha land within five to six months. Describing the financial benefit of the crop, the DAE official said, the farmers should consider their interest from where they could earn more.
A young farmer Tanzim Hasan Joy had shown his elephant foot yam weighing four to six kilograms each which were produced on his 20 decimals of land. A total of 60 farmers, including women farmers, participated in the field-day programme.
