RANGPUR, Jan 29, 2021 (BSS) – Many char people are reaping rewarding profits currently from pumpkin farming using intercropping and relay methods on char lands and dried-up riverbeds in all five districts of Rangpur agriculture region.
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said char people are getting lucrative prices of newly harvested pumpkin now to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic situation along with recouping crop losses they incurred during last year’s floods.
Deputy Director of the DAE at its regional office Agriculturist Md. Moniruzzaman said an increasing number of landless char and riverside people have cultivated pumpkin with other Rabi crops on char lands adopting intercropping and relay methods.
Like in the past years, the DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institution (BARI), RDRS Bangladesh and many other organisations extended assistance to char people to promote crop cultivation on char lands this time.
Senior Coordinator (Agriculture and Environment) of RDRS Bangladesh Agriculturist Mamunur Rashid said more than 55,000 poor char and riverside families have so far changed their fortune through farming pumpkins with other crops on char lands.
“Char people have sowed pumpkin seeds on sandy char lands and silted-up beds of the Brahmaputra, Jamuna, Dudhkumar, Teesta, Dharla, Kartoa, Ghaghot and other rivers to complete harvesting of the crops by May next,” Rashid said.
They are now harvesting pumpkins in Rangpur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari and Gaibandha districts of the region and selling every piece at rates between Taka 50 and 90 depending on size and varieties now to lead a better life.
Talking to BSS, char people said they have cultivated pumpkins, onion, maize, wheat, pulses, squash, garlic, vegetables, green chili, squash, potato, brinjal, sweet potato and many other Rabi crops on the sandy char lands and dried-up riverbeds.
Landless char and riverside people Anwarul Islam, Abdur Razzaque and Morsheda Begum of village Paschim Mohipur in Gangachara upazila of Rangpur narrated their success stories of winning poverty through pumpkin cultivation over the years.
“We have spent Taka 15,000 each for farming pumpkin on 200 sandbars each aiming at selling the produce at Taka 40,000 to earn a net profit of Taka 25,000 by each after completing harvest by March next,” said Kobiza Khatun of the same village.
Marginal farmer Abdur Rahim of Dhushmara Char village in Kawnia upazila of Rangpur said he has cultivated pumpkins with other crops like banana, onion, garlic, vegetables, green chili, potato and brinjal on char lands.
“We have spent Taka 10,000 for farming pumpkin on 100 sandbars each to sell the produce at Taka 25,000 and earn a net profit of Taka 15,000 each after completing harvest,” said Rahim.
Farmer Raza Mian of village Badamer Char in Gaibandha said he has cultivated pumpkins on 66 decimals of dried up beds of the Teesta spending Taka 9,000 to get production of up to 2,000 pieces of pumpkins to earn lucrative profits this time.
Deputy Director of the DAE for Rangpur Agriculturist Dr. Md. Dr Sarwarul Haque said the farming cost of pumpkin is low and farmers reap more profit from its cultivation on the sandbars.
“The char people have cultivated pumpkins on more char lands this season without using pesticides in over 45 char villages of Gangachara, Kawnia and Pirgachha upazilas of Rangpur district alone,” Dr. Sarwarul added.