Potato intercropped with maize on 1.5 acres: over 500 maunds of potatoes on about Tk 90,000 cost, Tk 3 lakh expected

A woman farmer in Ghonabari village, Patgram upazila, Lalmonirhat, looked after the family farmland from the start because her husband was busy with his job, and later turned fully to farming. Taking advice from local sub-assistant agriculture officers, she grew companion crops, two crops in the same field at once. On 15 November of the previous year she planted Cardinal potato seed on about 1.5 acres. About a month later, in December, she planted a disaster-tolerant maize variety in the same field. Potato digging began within 110 days, with five women workers lifting potatoes. The field yielded over 500 maunds of potatoes. Growing the potatoes cost about Tk 90,000, and they could be sold at wholesale for about Tk 3 lakh. The maize stays in the field after the potatoes are dug; once it is harvested, transplanted aman rice is to follow, so the same land gives potato, maize and aman in one year. She says costs are low and profit is high. The report gives no separate cost or income figure for the maize. The upazila agriculture officer called it a good initiative and said many farmers are becoming interested in the method.