Sweet Potato in Nepal: From Traditional Farming to a High-Value Business

Sweet potato has traditionally been consumed in Nepal as a seasonal food crop. It is cultivated especially in the Terai and mid-hill regions. Because it can be produced with low investment, provides income in a short time, and is a relatively resilient crop, its commercial potential is significant.

However, in Nepal, sweet potato is still largely seen as a seasonal food item that is simply boiled or roasted. It has yet to be recognized as an economically viable commercial crop. Its future potential lies in processing, branding, tourism, and value addition - but this potential remains largely untapped. 

The demand for sweet potatoes in Nepal is significant. The clearest evidence of this is the continuous rise in imports. Nepal does not export sweet potatoes, yet a large quantity is imported annually from India and China.

Both the quantity and import values are in thousands.   

Source:  Department of Customs (2082/83; 2081/82)

👉 It shows that the sweet potato market in Nepal is already established.

👉 Nearly NPR 9 crore (90 million) worth of market space is currently being filled by imports, waiting to be captured by local farmers and entrepreneurs.

👉 Read: How Naruto Japan Company Limited is importing sweet potatoes directly from growers in Bangladesh

In 2013, FAO published a study on riverbed (Bagar) farming in Nepal's Terai region. According to the study, cultivating sweet potato on 1 kathha of land yields the following costs and income, expressed in NPR.  

To bring these values to 2026 monetary value, an annual inflation rate of 7.5% was used. Over 13 years, this rate gives a factor of 2.56.

Source: FAO, 2013

👉 This study shows that cultivating sweet potato on 1 kathha of land can yield NPR 11,520, with a net profit of NPR 7,168. 

👉 This shows that sweet potato is a low-cost crop with good returns.

There is significant variation in sweet potato production, cost, and income across different districts of Nepal. The table below presents the reality: 

Sources:  Gorkhapatra 7/1/2026; Gorkhapatra 01/01/2026; The Kathmandu Post 31/12/2025
*Refers to the selling price that farmers receive per kg of sweet potato, based on farm-gate or local market sales. 

I have already produced sweet potatoes worth more than NPR 300,000 from the NPR 45,000 invested in this crop. He estimates that there are still about 20 quintals of sweet potatoes remaining in his field.

Fatte Singh Tharu, cited in  Gorkhapatra 01/01/2026 

Due to the fear of elephants, it is impossible to cultivate on a larger scale. The losses are simply too high. 

Ganesh Rajbangshi, cited in The Kathmandu Post 31/12/2025

I have already sold sweet potatoes worth approximately NPR 150,000. If production exceeds 100 quintals this year, sales could reach up to NPR 350,000.

Ramchor Yadav, cited in Gorkhapatra 7/1/2026

👉 The FAO model shows that on 1 kathha, with an investment of NPR 4,352, an income of NPR 11,520 and a net profit of NPR 7,168 is possible.  However,

• Banke has delivered even higher returns than this. 
• In Dang, prices are good, but production is low. 
• Jhapa shows that good production capacity alone is not enough – risk management is equally essential.

The most attractive aspect of sweet potato cultivation is its high ROI (Return on Investment). 

• Low investment, short production cycles, and relatively stable market prices give farmers the potential to earn significant returns in a short period. 

• ROI (%) = (Total Income − Total Investment) / Total Investment × 100
  ROI = (56,875 − 18,000) / (18,000) × 100 ≈ 216%

• This means that by investing NPR 18,000, a farmer can earn a 216% return, which translates to more than double the investment within a short period.

Sweet potato cultivation not only offers high ROI but also provides strong market opportunities. 

• Farmers are able to sell their produce easily in local, regional, and seasonal markets. Festivals and seasonal consumption help maintain attractive prices.

Although sweet potato cultivation has good potential, there are several important challenges to commercial expansion. Without addressing these problems, large-scale industry expansion will be difficult.

• Lack of quality seeds – Farmers still rely on local and informal seeds
• Wildlife risk – Elephant attacks in Jhapa cause major damage 
  Source: The Kathmandu Post 31/12/2025
• Irrigation problems – Lack of water in riverbed areas during long dry spells
• Weak processing industry – Lack of chips, starch, or packaging industries
• Weak collective marketing system – Farmers depend on traders
• Price instability – The possibility of the market price dropping after the season
• Limited government and technical support – Weak training, insurance, and technology extension

If the right strategies are adopted, these challenges can be transformed into business opportunities.

• Develop quality seed production and distribution systems
• Expand solar irrigation and small irrigation systems in riverbed areas
• Develop insurance, community security, and cooperative models in elephant-affected areas
• Increase investment in chips, fries, starch, and packaging industries
• Develop direct trade systems between farmers and markets
• Brand products as local, organic, or produced on riverbeds
• Encourage cooperative and group-based production and processing

👉 Currently, there is almost no large-scale sweet potato processing industry in Nepal. Whoever first builds quality production, processing, and a strong brand can capture market leadership.

Success in the sweet potato business does not depend solely on production. It is a business of cultivation, market, processing, and value chain management.

The main challenge of the sweet potato business is not a lack of demand. The real challenges are safe production, processing capacity, market management, and long-term brand building.  

• If Nepal can commercialize riverbed farming, expand the processing industry, and brand local products, then sweet potato will not remain limited to a traditional crop.

👉 Sweet potato is not just a food crop - it is an opportunity to transform underutilized land into a high-value agricultural business.