A farmer in Hakimpur (Hili) upazila of Dinajpur has turned from rice to off-season watermelons grown on a trellis, and is already in profit. Atiar Rahman of Balarampur village in Khattamadhabpara union planted 40 decimals this way for the first time.
Under the local agriculture office's demonstration project, he grew the 'Bengal Tiger' variety, which tolerates high temperatures and rain. Rows of melons now hang among the green leaves across the trellis.
Atiar said he spent about Tk 50,000 from sowing to harvest, and the plants began yielding within 70 days. He is selling at about Tk 1,600 a maund and earned Tk 125,000 from the first round of sales. With plenty of fruit still in the field, he expects total sales to pass Tk 200,000. 'Watermelon pays far more than rice,' he said.
Selling is no worry: wholesalers buy straight from the field, which saves him transport and marketing. Several young men from the village said the field has given work to a few unemployed youths, and other farmers in the village are now interested in trellis watermelon.
Hakimpur upazila agriculture officer Arjena Begum said farmers growing watermelon on trellises are getting advice and help, and that high-value crops like this are being encouraged alongside the usual ones. The department will support any farmer who wants to try, she said. The report is by The Daily Observer's correspondent.
Photo: Sonyarahman1984 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Source: The Daily Observer
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