Watermelons hang one after another among the vines on trellises above raised earthen beds, and although the market season has not begun, farmer Hazrat Ali of Pakundia in Kishoreganj is busy bringing in an early crop. He expects the off-season fruit to pay better than the rice it replaced.

Hazrat Ali, of Bara Ajaldi village in Chandipasha union, grew watermelon on a small plot last year, made a profit and has expanded this year, choosing the fruit over rice on the same land because the return is higher. Excessive rain has cut the yield somewhat, but he expects a good profit if he can sell in time, and plans to plant rice on the same plot once the early melons are harvested.

The agriculture department says Pakundia's soil and weather suit off-season watermelon: grown on trellises and raised beds with mulching, the crop needs comparatively little care and carries less disease risk, which is why the area under it grows every year. Farmers are being given seed, fertiliser and other inputs through demonstrations and incentives.

With good prices in the early market and the chance of a following crop on the same land, off-season watermelon is spreading in Pakundia; growers expect it to spread further if proper care and a fair price are assured.

From a Banglavision report by Nasim Khan, Kishoreganj. Source: Banglavision