Gobindaganj (Gaibandha) Correspondent

Hundreds of watermelons are hanging on the farmer's loft in the red soil of Barendra area of Raghunathpur village of Gobindganj, Gaibandhar. Watermelon is being cultivated in this village by mulching method on about 70 bighas of land. Farmers are benefiting due to good yield and market price in watermelon cultivation.

Farmers of Gobindganj West Barendra area of Gobindganj have got success by cultivating watermelon on red soil under mulching method. Seeing this success, other farmers in the area are also becoming interested in watermelon cultivation.

Farmers are benefiting financially due to the good yield and market price of this watermelon cultivation in the soil of Barendra region with proper management. Watermelon is being cultivated in different areas of Raghunathpur village of Kamdia union of Gobindganj upazila on about 70 bigha land. Hundreds of watermelons are hanging on the farmer's lofts in different fields of this village.

The farmers of this area said that they started watermelon cultivation 3 years ago after seeing watermelon cultivation in the neighboring Joypurhat district.

At first it was profitable even if two people cultivated it, now every year the watermelon cultivation is expanding. They are getting economic benefit in watermelon cultivation by saving cost as they get three times yield step by step.

Watermelon farmer Abdur Rahman said that on one acre of land watermelon cultivation costs 1 lakh 30/40 thousand, but watermelon is sold for about 3 lakh taka. He said that the farmers of this area are cultivating watermelon step by step by making beds on the ground and spreading mulching paper. Farmers are happy with the success of watermelon cultivation in Barendra region's famous red soil.

Arafat Islam Benazir, Deputy Assistant Agriculture Officer of Kamdia Bøk of Gobindganj Upazila, Watermelon cultivation is increasing day by day as it is more profitable than other crops.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Md. Mehedi Hasan said technical advice and assistance is being given to watermelon farmers. Besides ensuring the fair price of watermelon produced by the farmers, attention is also being paid to ensure that the farmers are not harmed for any reason.