Early variety of pumpkin has brought fortune to the farmers in Rangpur region as good yield and fair price of the item this year has come as a boon to them.
Cultivation of pumpkin, both usual and early varieties, is gradually becoming a profitable crop for farmers living along the rivers -- Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dharla, Jinjiram, Dudhkumar and Gangadhar -- in Rangpur region as it brings much better returns compared to the expenses.
As a result, several thousand farmers, especially landless, in the char areas of the region are inclining towards pumpkin cultivation for the last few years.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), pumpkin has been cultivated on a total of 9,300 hectares of land in greater Rangpur region's five districts Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Rangpur, Gaibandha and Nilphamari, with a target to produce 3,34,800 tonnes of the crop.
Of the land, about 1,500 hectares have been brought under early variety of pumpkin cultivation.
Out of the total production, nearly 85 to 90 percent of the vegetable is produced in the char areas of the region.
The yield has been very good this year as more farmers leaning towards pumpkin cultivation, DAE sources said.
Farmers said harvest of early variety pumpkin is almost completed, but they will harvest the usual variety in February and March next year.
Farmer Rasul Mandal of Char Shoulmari in Kurigram's Roumari upazila said he planted hybrid breed usual variety of pumpkin on three acres of land, early variety on one acre this season, spending Tk 1 lakh.
He has already harvested about 7,000kg of the early variety and sold them to buyers in local wholesale market at Tk 30 per kg, Rasul said, adding that he will harvest the usual variety in mid-February.
Meherul Islam of Char Kalmati in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila said alongside the usual one, he planted the early variety of pumpkin on his decimals land.
He got 1,650kg yield from the small piece of land and sold each kg of the vegetable for Tk 30.
Another farmer Dhiren Chandra Sen of Char Madhupur in Rangpur's Kaunia upazila said char farmers are now making good profits from early variety pumpkin on sandy lands.
Although the production is a bit low in his locality, but the price is quite good, he said.
Rangpur DAE Additional Director Obaidur Rahman Mandol said pumpkin cultivation on sandy lands is helping many farmers in 500 char villages along the Brahmaputra, Dudhkumar, Jinjiram, Ganghadhar, Teesta and Dharla rivers to overcome their poverties.
