Off-season watermelons bringing economic self-sufficiency in Khulna

KHULNA, Aug 17: Cultivation of the off-season variety watermelons has turned out to be a profitable venture to the farmers of the district in recent years.
The variety of fruit that is grown aplenty at shrimp enclosures in the district's Dacope, Dumuria, Batiaghata and Paikgachha upazilas is now available in the local markets round the year.
Bumper production of the off-season variety watermelons as well as their fair price have brought economic self-sufficiency to many of the farmers in the district.
Many of the growers have turned the wheel of fortune by cultivating the fruit in the last few years and more are showing interest to its extensive farming.
Many farmers in the district are interested in cultivating the off-season variety watermelons for profitability and repeated bumper yields.
Watermelons of this variety look dark green. And when cut, the sleeves are red and also taste good. Off-season watermelons hanging from sheds is now a common sight in villages across some upazilas of Khulna, where over a hundred farmers are earning profit by growing this juicy fruit.
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Khulna, watermelon of the off-season variety was cultivated on 35 hectares of land in Dumuria, 18 hectares in Batiaghata, seven hectares in Dacope and 1.5 hectares in Paikgachha upazila this year.
Tapas Mondal, a watermelon grower of Shovna Union under Dumuria Upazila said, "I've cultivated summer variety watermelon on my 18 bighas of land by sowing 15,000 plants. I have 4,500 saleable ripe fruits in my garden so far. Its market value is Tk 5.5 lakh. I hope, like last year, this time too it will bring good profit."
Mahabub Talukder, watermelon cultivator of Batiaghata Upazila, said, this variety of watermelon yields a good return thorough farming in a short time.
The price is also quite good. There are grown 700-800 watermelons per bigha of land. It is sold at Tk 40-55 per kg. The demand for watermelon is also high in the market.
He is happy by cultivating watermelon at the off season. These watermelons do not have to be marketed. Wholesalers buy it from the garden. As a result, there is no extra cost.
Kantish Mondal, another watermelon cultivator of Bajua Kocha village under Dacope upazila, said, "I've cultivated off-season watermelon on six bighas of my land spending Tk 30,000. I am expecting to earn at least Tk one lakh as profit after meeting all the expenses this season," he added.
Dumuria Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Mosaddek Hossain said as it is a high-value crop, farmers here have been cultivating the high yielding Japanese Blackberry, Red Dragon, Pakiza, Sonia, Asian-2 and others varieties of watermelon for the last four years and it has proved more profitable than paddy, jute and other vegetables.
The sowing generally starts in May and continues till September. The fruit becomes mature within 55-66 days.
Md Sk Hadi-UZ-Zaman Hadi, chairman of Gangarampur Batiaghata, said cultivation of the off- season variety watermelon is becoming increasingly popular in the upazila.
Farmers are happy for its cultivation with less capital and more profit in short time.
The farmers of this region are inclined to cultivate it to get good price.
At one time watermelon was available in the market for three months in a year but now it is available all the year round. The local agriculture department is also co-operating with the farmers all the time.
Deputy Director of Khluna DAE Pankaj Kanti Majumdar said the growers, cultivating the off- season variety watermelon, have made good profit in the previous year and hoped that they would get much profit this season also.
The DAE provided training to the cultivators since the soil and the climate here are very suitable for farming of the fruit, he added.

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