Mahidul Islam Ripon, Dinajpur

Humayun Kabir Johnny, an agricultural education teacher at Nehalgaon High School in Bochaganj Upazila in Dinajpur, has started cultivating sweet pumpkins as a companion crop along with litchis. He has also achieved success by cultivating sweet pumpkins for the first time.

Teacher Humayun Kabir Johnny has received a lot of response by cultivating sweet pumpkins. Seeing his success, many farmers are being encouraged to cultivate pumpkins in litchi gardens. The Agriculture Department is working to make farmers interested in cultivating pumpkins in mango/litchi gardens.

It is learned that Humayun Kabir Johnny bought 1,200 seeds from the shop and planted them at home in a litchi garden of one acre. He planted three varieties of sweet pumpkin seedlings last January. Johnny's pumpkin tree will have more than 10 pumpkins, but Johnny will collect 5 to 6 pumpkins. It cost about 1 lakh taka to cultivate sweet pumpkin.

Farmer Ashikur Rahman, who came to see Humayun Kabir Joni's sweet pumpkin cultivation, said, "I came to see the sweet pumpkin cultivation method in Humayun Bhai's litchi garden after learning about it through Facebook. I liked it very much. I will also cultivate sweet pumpkin in my mango garden next year."

Agricultural entrepreneur Humayun Kabir Joni said, "I have cultivated three varieties of sweet pumpkin in my litchi garden. I have been informed that I have spent about 1 lakh taka to cultivate these pumpkins. I hope that the sweet pumpkin will be sold for about 5 lakh taka."

In response to the question of where he got this method of cultivating sweet pumpkin in litchi garden, he said, "I came up with this method from my own idea. Because the fallow land below the litchi garden is already lying around. So this is the first time I have cultivated pumpkin in that fallow land and I have also achieved success."

Bochaganj Upazila Agriculture Officer Nayan Kumar Shaha said, "A farmer named Humayun Kabir Joni has planted pumpkin in a litchi garden for the first time on one acre of land in Atgaon Union of Bochaganj Upazila.

On behalf of the agricultural extension department, we are providing him with technical advice and various overall support. We hope the yield will be good. The farmer will also benefit. I applaud this initiative of Humayun Kabir Joni."