Watermelons have flourished in the salty sands of Cox’s Bazar this season, what has been a boon for farmers in the locality.
Experts have said that the good quality watermelons were a bumper harvest this year owing to favouring weather and improved farming.
However, fears on the boon might turn to a bane if proper attention and facilities are denied in the process of marketing the produced.
Cox’s Bazar Department of Agricultural Extension Deputy Assistant Officer Ashish Kumar Dey said farmers yielded a bumper production of watermelons this season.
“Watermelons were farmed on 730 hectares of land this season,” he said. “A produce of 22-25 metric tons were expected from each hectare.”
“But, favouring weather and improved farming opened the scope a surplus of up to three metric tons per hectare,” he said. “The watermelons are juicy and tasty.”
The department’s Deputy Director Mohammad Nurul Absar said Cox’s Bazar was had the ideal conditions for watermelon farming. “That is why, more farmers are being encouraged every day.”
Dhaka Tribune has visited most of the markets in the Cox’s Bazar Sadar and found plenty of juicy watermelons in the offer.
A medium sized watermelon is being sold at Tk50-100 while a large sized at Tk150 or more.
Lal Mohammad, a farmer of Ukhia upazila, said he spent Tk250,000 on his two acres of watermelon farm. “The output harvest came in three and half months.”
“I have already sold Tk150,000 worth of my produce with about Tk200,000 in the queue.”
Another farmer Mohammad Belal was happy with his produce, but feared if he would receive the fruit of his hard work.
“We had a rough time with the price of fertilizers. Though the harvest has been a bumper, there are no cold storages in this district,” he said.
“Also, there has been little development of marketing facilities of our produce in view of natural disasters.”
Other farmers are in fear of transport crisis and problems involved with middlemen to come in their way for profit with the bumper harvest of watermelons.
The watermelons produced in this district are also being distributed throughout the country.
In absence of proper attention and facilities in distribution of the produce, the boon for the farmers might turn into bane.
