Many farmers at Kalapara upazila in Patuakhali are now earning profit and becoming self-reliant economically by growing watermelon.
Bengali months Magh and Falgun are the proper time for watermelon cultivation. Now it is high of watermelon farming. Many local farmers are now passing busy time on the watermelon fields, expecting bumper yield of the summer fruit.
Some of the farmers are now busy in irrigating, while some others are weeding and fixing the roots of watermelon trees. Some are again applying fungicides, vitamins, fertilizers in various non-edible fields for prevention. Local farmers are expecting a bumper yield this year. They hope that they will be economically self-sufficient by selling watermelon at higher price.
Kalapara Upazila Agriculture Officer Abdul Mannan said that the target for watermelon planting in the upazila has been set at 3000 hectares of land. To meet the target, farmers are cultivating different varieties of watermelons including Sugarbebi, Asahi Yamato, Aadhari, Pusha Bedana and Hybrid varieties including Sugar Empire, Amrit, Milon Madhu, Sugar Bele.
He also said that the agriculture department has been maintaining field level communication at all times to ensure bumper yield of watermelon.
Farmers of Nilganj Union, Dalbuganj and Latachapali Unions of this upazila are working day and night.
Momin Faraji, a farmer from Doulatpur village in Nilganj union, said that he is cultivating watermelon this time in the hope of getting a good yield and good price in the market.
Matiur Rahman, another farmer of the upazila, said, “I benefited from watermelon cultivation last year, so this year I am cultivating watermelon on a little more land.”
However, the farmers demanded of the government to take initiative from now to reduce the transport fare in the interest of the farmers.
