Arshad Ahmed Asad, Gafargaon (Mymensingh)

The sandbanks of Brahmaputra river in Gafargaon upazila of Mymensingh are no longer a curse. Sand vast field is of greenery.

The green leaves are playing like small waves of the sea. And the dream of the farmer is swaying in the waves of such a green sea. This time, there has been a bumper crop of sweet pumpkins on the banks of the Brahmaputra. Hundreds of farmers in the Brahmaputra region have now turned around by cultivating sweet pumpkins on the sands of the Brahmaputra.

Not only the farmers but also the locals are fascinated by the aesthetic beauty of the pumpkin on the sand. Passers-by are also stopping to see this beautiful scene. With little time and little capital investment, many farmers have become self-sufficient in sweet pumpkin cultivation.

Sweet pumpkin is a popular vegetable throughout the world. The best quality of this nutrient-rich, bright-colored delicious vegetable is that it is rich in vitamin A. So many vitamin A mines are not found in any other vegetable.

This vegetable prevents cancer, lowers high blood pressure, improves digestion in pregnant mothers, and iron in pumpkin helps to give oxygen to the baby and prevents anemia in the mother, brightens the skin, removes inflammation and keeps the eyes healthy. This nutrient-rich vegetable has been widely cultivated in the pastures of Gafargaon. The crisp hot sand pastures are now green with pumpkin plants.

The target of 300 hectares of pumpkin cultivation in Brahmaputra river forage this season has been exceeded. Farmers are cultivating only sweet pumpkin in sandy pastures across the horizon due to the relatively low cost and high profit compared to other crops. However, besides sweet pumpkin, farmers are benefiting by cultivating different types of vegetables in this sandy soil.

Going to the Brahmaputra river grazing area of Tangab union of the upazila, it can be seen that the farmers are spending busy time tending to the cultivated sweet pumpkin and other vegetables. The entire char area is covered in green. In addition, sweet pumpkins have been cultivated extensively in Charalgi, Dutter Bazar, Niguari and Panchbagh union areas of the upazila. Especially in Tangab Union, sweet pumpkin has been cultivated extensively.

Now the farmers are happy with the bumper harvest along with the sweet pumpkin fields across the horizon of the upazila. Cultivation of sweet pumpkin has brought a new momentum to the agricultural land which is dependent only on paddy cultivation. The sweet pumpkins produced in this upazila are being exported to different regions of the country including the capital Dhaka.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Agriculturist Rakib Al Rana said that sweet pumpkin is being widely produced in Bamankhali, Bashia, Dubasia and Tangab villages of Tangab union, Charshankhchura, Khurshid Mahal, Gabhishimul villages of Panchbagh union, Balua Kanda, Jayarchar and Charalgi villages of Charalgi union and remote areas of Dutt Bazar union. . This time the yield of sweet pumpkin is also good.

Farmers of Bashia, Bamankhali and Dubasia villages of Tangab union Ekhlach Miah, Shahidul Seelam, Bulbul, Yasin, Asad Miah, Mosharf Hossain, Israel Mridha, Farid Uddin, Abul Hossain, Masud Hasan, Sufal Miah of Baman village, Ekhlach Uddin said that sweet pumpkins are grown in this union. Many farmers including Tara have benefited from cultivation. They cultivate this crop under the inspiration and advice of the local agriculture department.