Bumper yield brings smile to watermelon growers
Watermelon growers of Panchagarh district are happy with this year's bumper yield and satisfactory price of their produce in local markets.
Farmers are now becoming solvent by selling watermelons, one of the popular summer fruits in Bangladesh, for good prices in local markets as well as to buyers from Dhaka, Rajshahi, Bogra, Khulna and adjoining districts.
Sources at Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Panchagarh said this year watermelons have been grown in 1,000 hectares of land in five upazilas and the total production might cross 40,000 tonnes.
According to market sources, the retail market prices of watermelons varied from Tk 250 to Tk 70 depending on the size.
"I cultivated watermelons on my three acres of land spending about Tk 2 lakh . I have already earned about Tk 3 lakh and hope to get Tk 7 lakh more by selling the remaining watermelons”, said Sunil Chandra , of Dararhat village in Debiganj upazila.
Sandy soil of five upazilas in the district and presence of a good number of rivers and canals, providing irrigation facility, are the key factors that boost the cultivation, said Saiful Islam, assistant agriculture officer of DAE in Debiganj upazila.
The farmers urged the government to set up cold storages at upazila levels to preserve watermelon for other seasons and to take steps to export the juicy fruit abroad.
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