Cultivation of pumpkin along with other winter crops in relay-method is being expanded every year on char lands improving livelihoods of char people in Rangpur agriculture region in the last eleven years, reports BSS.
Officials and experts of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and NGOs said increasing number of char and riverside people are sowing seed of pumpkin and other Rabi crops on sandy char lands and dried-up riverbeds in full swing now.
After getting repeated bumper production and better prices in recent years, char people are showing more interest in farming pumpkin with other crops on char lands to earn huge profits also improving agro-economy in char areas.
The DAE, Practical Action Bangladesh (PAB), RDRS Bangladesh, Gano Unnayan Kendra, Solidarity and many other NGOs are assisting char people to promote pumpkin farming on char lands and silted-up riverbeds to improve livelihoods and change fortune.
Senior Coordinator (Agriculture and Environment) of RDRS Bangladesh Agriculturist Mamunur Rashid told BSS that some 45,000 poor char families have changed fortune through farming pumpkin with other crops.
“With assistance of the DAE and RDRS Bangladesh alone, some 23,000 char families have expanded pumpkin cultivation on char lands in around 300 char villages of all five districts in Rangpur agriculture region,” he said.
“The char people are sowing pumpkin seeds on sandy char lands and silted-up beds of the Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dharla, Kartoa, Ghaghot and other rivers,” Rashid added.
Manager (Agriculture) of PAB Agriculturist Nirmal Chandra Bepari said the organisation extended project assistance to over 22,000 char families with the DAE support for expanding pumpkin cultivation on sandbars in 200 villages since 2009.
“Even after the expiry of the project two years back, char families are producing pumpkin in the tune of over 1.30-lakh tonnes worth over Taka 130 crore annually with Taka 10 per kg price at the farmers’ level in the region,” Nirmal said.
Talking to BSS, Abdur Razzaque, Morsheda Begum and Mahbub Alam of riverside Char Paschim Mohipur village in Gangachara upazila of Rangpur discussed their stories of winning extreme poverty through pumpkin cultivation.
They are expanding cultivation of pumpkin with other crops like onion, garlic, vegetables, green chili, squash, potato, brinjal, sweet potato and other Rabi crops on the sandy char lands and dried-up riverbeds this season.
“We generally spend Taka 13,000 to 15,000 for farming pumpkin on 200 sandbars each and earn a net profit of Taka 20,000 to 25,000 annually after completing harvests by May,” said Razzaque.
Hossain Ali of Dhushmara Char in Kawnia upazila of Rangpur said he sowed 3,200 pumpkin plants on char lands on the Teesta riverbed last year and earned Taka 90,000 as net profit after selling his production.
“This time, I am sowing seed for 3,500 plants on sandbars aiming at earning Taka one lakh,” he said adding everyone of his char village is expanding cultivation of pumpkin with other winter crops on the dried-up sandy riverbed,” Ali added.
Char people Fazlul Haque, Ajlema Begum and Mofizul Haque of Char Balapara Kutirpar village of Lalmonirhat said they are cultivating pumpkin on more char lands this year after achieving huge profits in recent years.
Deputy Director of DAE at its regional office Agriculturist Md. Moniruzzaman said expanded cultivation of pumpkin with other Rabi crops and repeated bumper output with lucrative price have brought char people out of the vicious cycle of poverty.
