Home ›› 07 Apr 2023 ›› Nation
Many families in Barishal’s Agailjhara have become self-sufficient by intercropping pumpkins alongside their Iri-Boro paddy crops.
Farmers of remote villages of the upazila are benefitting from cultivating pumpkins in the aisles of their paddy fields that were previously left fallow.
A significant amount of pumpkin has been cultivated this season in Bahadurpur, Batra, Barpaika, Askar, Jalirpar, Fenabari, Rajihar, Kodaldhoa, Bashail, Saheberhat, Mollapara, Goila, Bagdha and other areas of the upazila.
According to upazila agriculture office sources, pumpkin is cultivated in all five unions of Agailjhara. Farmers are getting a bumper yield of the vegetable due to the high soil fertility in the area.
The upazila agriculture department is encouraging the farmers to cultivate pumpkin as a companion crop at a low cost, in addition to the cultivation of Iri-Boro paddy.
Cultivating pumpkins in the aisles of paddy fields does not require any additional irrigation or application of pesticides. Pumpkin plants grow well without the need for any extra care and do not hamper rice production.
Local farmer Deepak Jayadhar said, “I started cultivation with five packets of pumpkin seeds given by a private development organisation and got success. Many farmers in the area started cultivating pumpkins after seeing my success.”
Hybrid varieties of pumpkin are being sold at the rate of Tk 800 taka per maund in the Bahadurpur market of the upazila. Each pumpkin weighs about three to eight kilogrammes.
According to the farmers, wholesalers buy the pumpkins straight from the fields and export them to different parts of the country including Dhaka.
The yield has been good this year as the weather has been favourable. They expressed interest in expanding production if they receive government support.
Farmers of this region benefit from higher yields as well as a fair price for their products in the market. Also, the cost of growing these vegetables is low and the need to use pesticides is relatively low.
They also do not need any additional transportation costs as they can sell the produce from the land. Therefore, most of the farmers cultivate pumpkins in the hope of making extra profit.
Anita Bhadra of Bahadurpur village of the upazila said that she has been cultivating pumpkins in aisles of paddy fields for the past 10 years. Last year she sold about Tk 50,000 worth of pumpkins.
“I can meet the expenses of my children’s education with this additional income. Since the yield has been good this year, I hope to make a better profit,” she added.
Ramani Sarkar of Batra village said, “We don’t have to worry about selling the sweet pumpkin produced. Wholesalers from different areas are coming and buying from the land.”
“Although selling from the field means we get a lower price, this saves time and additional labour costs. Many families also cultivate pumpkins in their yard for their personal use,” Ramani added.
Deepak Jayadhar, a farmer in the same area, said, “I got a higher yield this year compared to the previous years since the weather is good. Although the prices might decrease a bit, I hope to make a good profit.”
Md Ekhlas Sardar, a businessman of Gaila Bazaar in the upazila, said, “I bought pumpkins from traders at the rate of Tk 20 per kg and sold them at the rate of Tk 30 per kg in the city markets. Even though the profit is low, it is a good business.”
Agailjhara Upazila Agriculture Officer Dolon Chandra Ray said they are encouraging the farmers to make use of their fallow lands and increase crop production as per the direction of the Prime Minister
“This year, local varieties of pumpkin including Baromasi, Bari, and Monika have been produced on 25 hectares of land in the upazila. Due to the favourable weather, the farmers got more yield. The pumpkins produced here are quite large and sweet,” he said.
He added that all kinds of support including training and advice are being provided to the farmers. They expect to increase the cultivation further in the area.
