Coastal farmers in Bangladesh expect bumper watermelon yield to recoup last year’s losses

Coastal farmers of the southern region of Bangladesh are expecting bumper watermelon yield this year, with which they hope will cover the losses made last year due to the pandemic. Shamim Hawladar, a farmer from Gopalpur village hopes to make a profit of Tk5 lakh this season if yields are good. He has planted watermelon on 1.5 acres of land after spending Tk7 lakh. Shamim has already sold watermelons weighing 7-8kg each at Tk15 per kg, and 6-7kg watermelons at Tk7 per kg in the wholesale market. Both the yield and prices were good and that this had benefited more than a thousand farmers of the upazila this time around, said Abdur Rahman, a farmer from the same village. The yield has been good this season as rain and storms were limited, according to Tuhin Talukder of Veduria union in Char Fasson upazila. He has cultivated watermelon on 1.60 acres of land. Claiming to have at least 15,000-16,000 watermelons, he is hoping to earn Tk5 lakh from sales. This year, the region fell short ...