Black-skinned watermelons hang in clusters from trellises out of season, each one supported in a red net to keep it balanced. Curious people crowd in every day to see them. Md Abdur Rob, a farmer in Matiranga, Khagrachhari, has succeeded in growing summer watermelons as a hobby, and his success is drawing interest from others.

With advice and support from officials of the agricultural development department of the Integrated Development Foundation (IDF), he grew the Black Baby variety on 20 decimals of land in the Charpara area of Matiranga municipality. The IDF's agricultural development department ran the project with financial and technical support from the integrated agriculture unit of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF).

In Charpara, black watermelons hang beneath green leaves from 'A'-shaped trellises on a plot farmed with the toxin-free, environment-friendly mulching method. Each fruit is held in a red net to keep it balanced. The land used to grow potatoes, ridge gourd and other vegetables.

"I used to grow vegetables on this land. With IDF's advice and encouragement I became interested in watermelon. This summer watermelon will bring back financial well-being and meet consumer demand, and consumers will get the taste of watermelon even in summer. Growing it cost Tk 20,000. If the yield is good, I will be able to sell Tk 2.5 lakh worth," Md Abdur Rob said.

Md Mostafizur Rahman, an agriculturist with the IDF, said: "IDF is giving farmers financial and all-round support to grow this variety. If local farmers become interested in growing it in future, they will get full support."

Matiranga upazila agriculture officer Md Sabuj Ali said: "There are about 700 watermelons on this land. The farmer would not have profited as much from rice as he is from watermelon. Farmers will profit from summer watermelon, and they will get all kinds of help to grow this variety."

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