The chars that have risen in the bed of the Teesta have produced a bumper crop of sweet pumpkin this season. Farmers along the river are pleased with the strong demand and the prices they are getting, though they say they would earn more if there were proper arrangements to market the crop.

The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Lalmonirhat says various varieties of sweet pumpkin have been grown this year on 1,320 hectares of char and flat land in the district's five upazilas. Pumpkin yields 25–30 tonnes a hectare, and 80 per cent of the crop is grown on the Teesta's sandbars.

Ashraful Rifat, a farmer from the Shoilmari char area of Kaliganj upazila, said: "Crops could not be grown on the sandbars before. After the water receded, the land lay abandoned. It costs Tk 6–7 to produce a kilogram of pumpkin. Last year I sold pumpkin at Tk 17–18 a kg; this year it is selling at Tk 11–12. I produced 3,000 kg on one plot at a cost of Tk 18,000. If I got last year's price I would profit from selling it."

Nadirul Islam, a farmer from the Rajman Munshi area of Kalmatir char in Sadar upazila, said: "I got 12,500 kg of pumpkin from 4 bighas. Because the price is low this year I have sold half and stored the other half at home. The weather was favourable, so the yield was as hoped. I am growing pumpkin on sandbars where no crop grew before."

Shamsul Alam, a farmer from the Char Bhotmari area of Kaliganj upazila, said: "We formed a group of 25 farmers and grew pumpkin, watermelon, maize, groundnut and sweet potato on the Teesta sandbars. This year I grew pumpkin on 1 hectare and harvested 24 tonnes. I am happy with the yield, but without good marketing arrangements we cannot make more profit."

Dr Saikhul Arifin, deputy director of the district DAE, said: "Pumpkin prices have fallen this year because potato prices are low. Supply rises because farmers harvest pumpkin at the same time. With care it can be stored at home for 6–7 months, but most farmers need cash and so cannot store their pumpkins."

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