Watermelon farmers at the coastal region in the southern part of Feni secured a bumper yield this season due to favourable weather and optimum soil conditions.
However, farmers in Sonagazi upazila in the district estimate that they will face a huge loss due to reduced demand as watermelon sale decreased because of the coronavirus situation.
On a visit to watermelon fields in Chardorbesh and Charchandia union of Sonagazi upazila, this correspondent found juicy watermelons had begun to rot as farmers could not make sales due to the low price offered.
Watermelons are generally harvested in March and April. Farmers have been selling their produce at a much slower rate directly to the retail sellers or to local wholesalers as they were unable to transport them to wholesalers in Chittagong and Dhaka.
Shahidul Alam, a watermelon farmer in Sonagazi, said: “Previously it cost us Tk15,000 to Tk20,000 to hire a truck for Dhaka, but now we can’t manage a truck despite offering Tk30,000. As markets and mobility of people have been restricted all across the country, the demand for our produce fell and local wholesalers are offering an unfair price.”
Depending on the size of the watermelons, retailers have been selling each at Tk150 to Tk220, whereas they bought each from the farmers at Tk40 to Tk60, according to retailers and wholesalers in Feni.
Suruj Miya, another watermelon grower, said: “I have paid Tk9,000 per acre to the leaseholders, for the cultivation of watermelons. I have managed a bumper harvest on 100acres of land, but now, I am on the verge of bankruptcy as wholesalers are not offering a fair price.
“I have taken loans from banks and NGOs for cultivation, but how will I pay them back? We want government support so that we could at least recoup the money invested.”
Watermelon retailers Noor Uddin and Selim said they have purchased a few hundreds of watermelons at Tk5,000 to Tk12,000 from the farmers and wholesalers, which is much lower than last year.
Sazzad Hossain Majumdar, agricultural officer in Sonagazi upazila, said this year various varieties of watermelons were cultivated on 134 hectares of land in the upazila and farmers secured a bumper harvest due to favourable conditions.
MP Nizam Uddin Hazari of Feni-3 constituency said support will be sought from various departments of the government, informing them of the farmer’s situation.
