The cultivation of watermelon has increased at Pakundia upazila of Kishoreganj. This year, more than half a hundred farmers from different areas of the upazila have planted watermelon on their land.
Farmers are inclined to cultivate watermelon as it is much more profitable than other crops.
According to the Upazila Agriculture Office, the period of watermelon cultivation is three months. During this time, watermelon becomes suitable for sale. Watermelon matures in 60-65 days. Since then, the sale has been going on for a whole month. Each watermelon weighs up to 3-4 kg. The taste and sweetness of all ripe watermelons are the same regardless of size.
Watermelon trade is already in full swing. Buyers are much more interested. They go to the farmers' lands and see and buy watermelon. Every day there is a crowd of buyers interested in watermelon orchards. In this way, the farmers do not have to take watermelon to the market.
The market price is also quite good. Watermelon is being sold at taka 60-70 per kg. As watermelon cultivation is profitable, the interest among the farmers is increasing day by day.
Salma, a watermelon farmer from Angiadi village of the Pakundiya upazila, said she spent Taka 20,000-25,000 to cultivate watermelon on 10 decimals of land. She has already sold watermelons worth Taka 50,000. She hopes to be able to sell more watermelons for around one lakh taka. She also said that he will plant it all the year round as she gets more profit at low cost.
Masud Mia of Kumri village saw watermelon cultivation in the adjoining Angiadi village and on the advice of Deputy Assistant Agriculture Officer Hamimul Haque Sohag planted watermelon in 10 decimal of land. He said he would have benefited more if he could have planted watermelons all over the land, seeing the yield and the demand of the buyers.
Ashraful Monaim, a buyer, said he bought watermelons from a garden in Angiadi village. Everyone in the house praised him after eating sweet watermelon grown out of season. Moreover, the watermelons here are poison-free and can be eaten without fear.
Mohammad Hamimul Haque Sohag, Deputy Assistant Agriculture Officer, Angiadi Block, said that in the beginning, farmers were involved in watermelon cultivation through many efforts. As the crop is profitable, it is spreading very fast now. In the coming days, it is expected that watermelon, like other crops, will remain in the farmer's field throughout the year. Moreover, the farmers here cultivate watermelons in a completely natural way. Its value is also increasing among the buyers as it is completely detoxified.
Md. Abdus Samad, Upazila Agriculture Extension Officer, said training has been arranged at the upazila level to motivate farmers to cultivate various high value crops including watermelon. Through training, farmers are able to know the techniques of cultivation and apply them in the field. The farmers here are benefiting a lot.