Interest in watermelon farming is growing among farmers in Joypurhat. Year-round watermelon grown with the mulching method is becoming popular in several areas of Panchbibi upazila, including Bhutgari. Using this environment-friendly method, farmers have succeeded in growing watermelons of different colours.

They are making a profit by growing watermelons of various colours three times a year. Because the fruit is nutritious and juicy, demand is high, and cultivation with mulching is rising day by day. Farmers face no trouble selling: the fruit sells as soon as it is brought from the field to the road, where a watermelon market is held every day.

Inquiries show that with this method watermelon can be produced for nine months of the year, leaving out the three winter months. Because it brings high profit at low cost, farmers are giving up other crops for watermelon. They spend Tk 60,000-65,000 a bigha and sell for Tk 2 lakh to Tk 2.5 lakh. It is also creating work for unemployed young people.

Year-round watermelon farming in Joypurhat was started by Abu Musa, a farmer from Bharahut village in Panchbibi upazila. In 2018 he first grew Black Baby and Madhumala watermelons on trellises on just two and a half decimals of land. That has now grown to 350 bigha.

On a visit, Golden Crown and Black Baby watermelons were seen hanging from bamboo trellises. Fertiliser normally gets washed out of seedbeds or fields, but there is no such risk here because the beds are covered with mulching paper. Plants grow one and a half times faster with this method than with the usual one. Net bags are used so the fruit does not tear off the vines.

Several farmers from Bharahut village told Jagonews that a Golden Crown watermelon weighs between 1 and 1.5 kg and a Black Baby between 1.5 and 3 kg, so the fruit hanging from the trellises has to be tied in net bags. The crop comes within 50 days of planting seedlings, and the fruit ripens in that time. In the local market Golden Crown, Black Baby and Madhumala are selling at Tk 40 a kg.

Watermelon farmers Korban Ali and Atowar Hossain told Jagonews: "Black Baby, Madhumala, Tripti, Diana and Sugar Queen watermelons are in great demand. Traders buy them straight from the field, so we don't have extra trouble marketing them. If we get support from the agriculture department, more watermelon will be grown in the area."

A Malek, a watermelon farmer from Bhutgari village, told Jagonews: "Six years ago farmer Abu Musa bhai first started growing watermelon in our area. Seeing his success, a few years later I also started with one bigha. As it was profitable, from the next year I have been farming two bigha. I don't have to go to the market to sell. It sells retail from the roadside, and wholesalers also take it from the field. It costs Tk 60,000-65,000 a bigha and sells for around Tk 2 lakh to Tk 2.5 lakh."

Farhad Hossain and his friend Mursalin, who stopped by the Bhutgari road to buy watermelons, told Jagonews: "We were passing along this road and saw lots of lovely watermelons, so we felt like buying one each. They are selling at Tk 35 and Tk 45 a kg."

Watermelon trader Rafiqul Islam, from Hili in Dinajpur, told Jagonews: "Demand for year-round watermelon is always high. For the past three years I have been taking them from here to sell in Panchbibi and Hili."

Sadia Sultana, additional deputy director (horticulture) of the district Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), told Jagonews: "Year-round watermelon is being grown on 45 hectares in the district this time. Because it gives a good yield and good profit, watermelon farming is increasing day by day."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.