United News of Bangladesh

Farmers in Satkhira are increasingly turning to off-season watermelon cultivation, drawn by bumper yields and profits of up to Tk 1.5-2 lakh per bigha. The short-duration crop which can be harvested within about three months is proving increasingly attractive to farmers in the southwestern district, where salinity has long posed a challenge to agriculture. Farmers say relatively low production costs and good market prices are encouraging more people to take up watermelon cultivation. Jamal Uddin Sardar, a farmer from Gariyadanga village in Satkhira Sadar upazila, has cultivated more than a bigha of off-season watermelon and is expecting a bumper harvest. He said he has spent around Tk 60,000-70,000 on cultivation and expects to sell watermelons worth more than Tk 2 lakh. At the field, the watermelons are currently selling for Tk 40-45 per kilogramme. “The yield has been very good. If the market price remains favourable, I expect a good profit from the crop,” he said.  Alauddin Sardar has cultivated two varieties of watermelon on one bigha of land. This is his first attempt at watermelon cultivation, and he is hopeful of making a profit. “The plants have grown well and the fruits are looking good. I hope to make a profit from this cultivation,” he said. The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said off-season watermelon has been cultivated on 143 hectares of land in Satkhira this year. The target yield has been set at 30-33 metric tonnes per hectare, while field-level indications suggest that production is good. The locally cultivated varieties include watermelons that are green outside with yellow flesh and yellow-skinned varieties with red flesh. Their sweet taste and attractive appearance have helped create strong demand in the market, allowing farmers to obtain comparatively better prices. Agriculture officials said the profitability of the crop is encouraging farmers to expand cultivation. Another advantage is its short cultivation cycle. Farmers can harvest the crop within 90-110 days and use the land for another crop, allowing them to generate additional income from the same piece of land. Agriculture officials are providing farmers with technical advice and support to improve production and manage cultivation challenges. Saiful Islam, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension, said farmers were increasingly adopting watermelon cultivation because of its profitability and short production cycle. He said agricultural officials were providing necessary advice and assistance to farmers to encourage cultivation and improve yields.    

Watermelon cultivation has started in the remote char area of the Brahmaputra River in Kurigram. Although watermelon cultivation started on an experimental basis last year, the number of farmers signing up to the this time. The yield has also been as expected. Farmers are hoping for double the profit if there is no flood in advance this year. However, if the government comes forward in marketing and banks provide loans with easy instalments, the misery of the people of the char area can be erased, or at least eased. Also read: Rain, hailstorm worry Khulna watermelon growers According to the Kurigram Department of Agricultural Extension, there are about 450 chars in 16 rivers in the district. There are about 45,000 hectares of cultivable land. Of these, farmers are starting cultivation on 35,000 hectares of land in 368 chars. Maize, watermelon, sweet pumpkin, cucumber and pepper have been cultivated in these char areas. Last year, watermelon was cultivated on 50 acres of land in Char Bagua village of Hatia union of Ulipur upazila of the district. In the early floods, 40 acres of crops were submerged and damaged. Yet the farmers did not stop. This year watermelon has been cultivated on 34 hectares of land in the char. Farmers have also started harvesting watermelons. Due to favorable weather conditions, the yield has also been as expected. As a result, they are hoping to make a good profit this time after overcoming last year's loss. However, the biggest obstacle to commercial cultivation in the char is marketing management. Besides, many farmers have left the land after being unable to cultivate these crops despite the desire, the banks not providing loans to the common farmers. Read More: Floating vegetable farmers in Pirojpur devastated by low prices Dashim Uddin of Bagua Char said three enterprising farmers have cultivated watermelon on 40 acres of land in this char. As a result of getting a large amount of loan from the bank, they have got the opportunity to cultivate on a large scale. Many farmers here have become interested in their farming, but they are not able to come forward due to economic reasons. Abdur Sabur, who cultivated watermelon, said, “Although watermelon was cultivated on an experimental basis last year, the watermelon field was washed away in the early floods. This year, I have cultivated watermelon on 14 acres of land. It cost me Tk6-7 lakh. I hope to pick up 20,000 watermelons. This will earn me an additional income of Tk6-7 lakh. However, the problem here is marketing watermelon. Wholesalers come here and buy watermelons at a lower price. If we could take melons to the city and sell, we would have made more profits. More farmers would have come forward to cultivate watermelon.” Read More: Bagerhat fruit farmer eyes foreign markets to expand thriving business The farmer also said watermelon seeds should be sown at the beginning of the month of Paush. After four months, watermelon can be lifted in the middle of chaitra month. There are some precautions to be taken in watermelon cultivation. In the sand land, a hole of one and a half feet in the 10-inch by 10-inch square has to be given some loamy soil, dung fertilizer and DSP in the pit. Forty grams should be given in each pit. In this way, after keeping it for a week, three seeds are sown in a pit. In addition, regularly insecticides have to be sprayed to protect against the attack of insects and rats. Abul Hossain Master, former chairman of Hatia Union, said at present, local entrepreneurs in the char area have become interested in cultivating various agricultural products. Due to economic problems, the rest of the farmers are unable to come forward. “Their misery would go away if banks and NGOs come forward.” Additional Deputy Director (Crops) of Kurigram DAE, Md Azizul Islam, said watermelon cultivation has started in the district since last year. Watermelon has been cultivated on 22,000 hectares of land this year. There is a plan to set up a collection center in the char areas so that the farmers do not suffer for marketing. Read More: Exporters want green signal for commercial cultivation of King Prawn

Watermelon growers in south-western Khulna district are staring at losses due to abnormally low price despite a bumper production of the summer fruit. Rather than looking for profit the growers are now worried about a recovery of their production cost. They are partly blaming a nexus of middle traders for their price woes. The syndicate, they complain, buys the fruit at a very low price to sell in the city markers with high profit margin. The shunning of middlemen is not as easy as it may look. In interviews with some growers it was found that they are to pay Tk 15,000-25,000 each to hire a truck for transporting watermelons besides paying the loaders. Most growers can’t afford the cost. The price of watermelons dropped significantly after the month of Ramadan and the selling of mouth-watering thirst-quenching fruit is low in the local markets. To recoup losses, a few were seen taking their produce to Dhaka and Khulna cities but failed to get desired prices. According to the Department of Agriculture Extension, Khulna, farmers this year cultivated watermelons on 13,990 hectares of land. Of these, 7,625 hectares are in Dakope upazila, 3,600 hectares in Batiaghata, 1,510 hectares in Paikgachcha, 895 hectares in Koyra, 350 hectares in Dumuria, five hectares in Rupsha, three hectares in Terokhada, one hectare each in Phultala and Metropolitan areas of the district. Also read: Corona shutdown: Khulna farmers in distress with bumper yield of watermelon In 2021, a total of 7,512 hectares of land were brought under watermelon cultivation and as the watermelon cultivation proved to be profitable, the farmers expanded their cultivation. An estimated 4.15 lakh tonnes of watermelon have been produced in the district this year. Abu Syed, a watermelon grower, said “I have brought 10 bighas of land under cultivation and most of the watermelon lying on my lands. One piece of watermelon, weighing 5-10 kg is being sold at Tk 10-20  but in the local market the same watermelon is being sold at Tk 30-40 per kg.” Quamrul Islam, another farmer, said “I have cultivated watermelons on my ten bighas of land and now I have no idea what to do with these. If I want to take these to Dhaka with my own cost, I have to pay Tk 25000-30,000 more as transport cost. I am I won’t get back one-fourth of the production cost.” Babul Sheikh, another farmer of Choto Chalna, said “I have brought five bighas of land under watermelon cultivation and still I cannot sell my products due to the poor price. No traders have shown interest to purchase my crop from the field. Now all my watermelon is rotting.” Utpal Sana, a farmer of Banishanta, said Tk 30,000 to 35,000 is needed to cultivate one bigha of the land but the traders refuse to pay us more than Tk 20,000. The farmers of Choto Chalna, Pankholi, Moukhali and Tildanga areas are facing the same problems. The farmers are now searching for markets in Dhaka, Bogura, Chattogram and Rajshahi to sell their products.  

Watermelon, a delicious fruit, is usually grown in the dry season. But 20 farmers of Natundia and Gowara villages in Rupsha upazila of Khulna district achieved an enviable success by farming it during its off-season.