Barishal, Patuakhali, Bhola and Barguna in southern Bangladesh produce huge amounts of watermelon every year. Supply floods the market in the season, often denying farmers a fair price, yet the popular fruit is unavailable for most of the year.

Watermelon was the largest fruit crop in Barishal division this year: 1,943,075 tonnes on 52,069 hectares across the division's six districts, according to divisional farm production data for 2024-25. Experts say modern storage technology and processed watermelon products could make the fruit available year-round and give farmers extra income.

Liton Mistri, sub-assistant agriculture officer at DAE's Barishal divisional office, said watermelon is more than 90 percent water, so it softens quickly and loses taste and quality. Research shows a whole watermelon keeps for two to three weeks at 10 to 15°C, but too much cold damages it. Cold storage, packaging technology, frozen storage and processed products could make watermelon available all year, he said. Researchers add that cut watermelon should be kept in airtight packs at 4 to 5°C.

Dr. Md. Alimur Rahman, chief scientific officer at the Regional Horticulture Research Station in Dumki, Patuakhali, said watermelon cannot normally be stored year-round, but the BARI-1 and BARI-2 varieties are now available throughout the year, and some methods can extend storage life:

• **Cold storage:** at 10 to 15°C and 85 to 90 percent relative humidity, watermelon keeps for several weeks; a cold chain makes distant markets easier to supply.
• **Fresh-cut packaging:** cut pieces in food-grade packs keep their quality for days to weeks.
• **Freezing:** small pieces frozen quickly keep for months and can be used for juice, smoothies, ice cream or desserts.
• **Processed products:** juice, squash, syrup, jam, jelly, candy, dehydrated snacks and drinks.

Sabirul Islam, a young entrepreneur in Barishal city, said the lack of technology and traditional methods are holding back watermelon processing; because cut fruit spoils within hours, crores of taka worth of processed products are thrown away before reaching market. Nanna Gazi of Chalitabunia village, Rangabali, grew watermelon on six bighas this year with a good yield and good prices but still had to dump many fruits for lack of storage. Delwar Hossain of Galachipa said a large share of the south's watermelon rots for lack of storage.

DAE Barishal deputy director Mosammat Mariam said year-round storage is not practical because each season has its own fruits and demand for watermelon falls outside its season.

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