Despite a record supply of the luscious summer fruit this year, the price of watermelon has risen to an all-time high of USD 0.69/kg in Dhaka's retail shops. A nearly 200% price difference between farm end and retail level in the coastal region deprives both growers and consumers of the financial gain. Sadarghat, Dhaka's Badamtoli, Patuakhali, Bhola, Barisal, Khulna, and Gopalganj primarily benefit from the situation.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension's monitoring and evaluation section, watermelon acreage has climbed to about 47,000 hectares this year, up from 43,347 hectares in 2021. According to the forecast, if the weather cooperates, an estimated 1.9M/mt of the crop might be harvested.
In 2021, watermelon production reached an all-time high of 1.77M/mt, a 22.5% increase over the previous year's output of 1.45M/mt on 38,824 hectares. According to the Department of Agriculture, farmers in Bhola, Patuakhali, Barisal, Pirojpur, Barguna, Cox's Bazar, Noakhali, and Chattogram began harvesting melons two weeks ago, Marketing (DAM) assistant director TM Rashed Khan. However, melon harvesting has only recently started in the districts of Gopalganj, Khulna, Chuadanga, Panchagarh, and Thakurgaon. Farmers who planted land ahead of time are currently harvesting melons as demand increases during the holy month of Ramadan.