Farmers in Narail are seeing profits multiplied by up to six times by growing off-season watermelons in Kalia upazila, thanks to the local Department of Agricultural Extension officials introducing hybrid variants of watermelons in the area.
Normally, February to April is the season of the mouth-watering summer fruit, but officials of the DAE introduced hybrid variants in Kalia during monsoon.
Eight hectares of land in the upazila are being used to grow off-season watermelons, with a target to produce 15 tons of the fruit per hectare. DAE officials provided fertilizers, seeds and cash to the farmers, and with their help, watermelons are being cultivated along the bank of fish enclosures and waterbodies in Gobindanagar, Salamabad and Bhaktadanga areas.
Farmers are growing Asian-2, Tripti and Black Baby hybrid variants of watermelon, which they say taste sweet and delicious.
Local farmers say they spent Tk15,000-20,000 per hectare and sold watermelons worth Tk1.5-2 lakh per hectare.
Sheikh Kamal Hossain, a resident of Bhaurir Char in the upazila and assistant professor at Nabadanga Degree College, said: “I took training in Dumuria upazila of Khulna, and after that I have planted 1,000 saplings of watermelon on seven acres of land along fish enclosures on an experimental basis last year. I have earned Tk2 lakh from this.”
This year he planted 2,000 saplings on the same land spending Tk70,000. He expects to earn Tk4 lakh from watermelon production this year.
Pradeep Kumar Barman, councillor of ward No 6 under Kalia municipality, said this year he planted 12,000 saplings along the bank of 150 bighas of fish enclosures during monsoon. “So far I have spent Tk10 lakh. Within 35 days, flowers started to bloom and I started harvesting watermelon within 60-65 days of planting. Each watermelon weighs almost 4kg.”
He expects to produce 200,000kg of watermelon this year, and if the market prices remain favourable, he may be able to earn Tk40 lakh.
Depak Kumar Roy, deputy director of Narail DAE, said farmers are earning profits up to six times considering their expenditure, within 60-65 days of cultivation. “We are providing all-out support through smart technology and providing fertilizer as well as pesticides for good production of watermelon.”
Eva Mallik, Kalia upazila agriculture officer, said: “Watermelon is no longer a seasonal fruit; it can be produced throughout the year. Flowers start to bloom within 40-50 days of planting saplings and 70-80 days are needed for harvesting.”
Most farmers in the district are showing interest in cultivating the off-season hybrid watermelon on their lands as it has proven to be profitable, he said.
