Off-season watermelon cultivation has brought significant success to a farmer in Dumuria upazila of Khulna, encouraging other local farmers to take up the high-value crop.
Mrityunjay Mondal, a farmer from Chhotoband village in Sahas union, has cultivated watermelon on 40 decimals of land using the trellis method. His field is now filled with mature watermelons hanging from the trellises.
“I was initially worried about growing watermelon in the off-season. But with proper advice from the agriculture office and regular care, I have achieved a good yield,” Mrityunjay said.
He said off-season watermelons have strong demand in the market and fetch a good price.
According to the farmer, he cultivated the Astha variety at a total cost of Tk20,000. He expects to initially sell around 42 maunds of watermelon at Tk50 per kilogram, generating about Tk84,000. He expects to earn another Tk25,000 from the remaining produce.
This would bring his estimated total sales to Tk109,000 and a potential net profit of around Tk89,000.
“My success has encouraged other farmers in the area to become interested in off-season watermelon cultivation using the trellis method,” he said.
Dumuria Upazila Agriculture Officer Agriculturist Md Nazmul Huda said the Department of Agricultural Extension had provided farmers with improved seeds, regular field visits and technical support for modern trellis-based cultivation.
“Despite salinity and adverse weather conditions, farmers like Mrityunjay have achieved good production through hard work and proper cultivation techniques,” he said.
Md Nazrul Islam, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Khulna, said off-season watermelon cultivation was opening up new economic opportunities for farmers in the coastal region.
“Compared to conventional crops such as rice, off-season watermelon can provide significantly higher returns. We are encouraging farmers across the district to adopt modern technologies and cultivate high-value crops,” he said.
The successful harvest in Dumuria has created fresh prospects for off-season watermelon cultivation in the area, with more farmers expected to become interested in the practice.
