Anwar Hossain, a farmer of Balarampur village in Sadar Dakshin upazila of Cumilla district, had been successful in cultivating black watermelon last year. This year, Anwar has created a buzz in the entire district by cultivating yellow watermelon.
According to the district agriculture department, farmer Anwar Hossain has cultivated this yellow watermelon for the first time in Cumilla district. His watermelon cropprouction has also been bumper. He has already started selling watermelons from his field. Buyers from different parts of the district are going to the watermelon field of farmer Anwar. Buyers are returning home happy buying watermelons of their choice.
According to local sources, after succeeding in cultivating black watermelon last year, farmer Anwar has now cultivated yellow watermelon. His yellow watermelon is very beautiful to look at. And this watermelon is also delicious to eat.
Anwar is also happy to sell the produce at a good price. Seeing Anwar's success, other farmers in the village are also interested in watermelon cultivation. Many are going to start watermelon cultivation with advice from him.
Hanging yellow watermelons among the green herbs ofAnwar Hossain's watermelon field in Balarampur village can be seen. There are thousands of watermelons, big and small. This is the first mulching method of watermelon cultivation in the district.
So people from different places are crowding to see this watermelon cultivation.
So after watching YouTube, he has cultivated yellow watermelon. of Chinese variety. This year he has cultivated watermelon on 65 decimal lands including yellow watermelon on 20 decimal of land.
He has cultivated black watermelon in the remaining 45 decimal of land. In all, there are about four thousand watermelons on his land. He has already started selling watermelons. Now he is busy taking care of the watermelon field.
Anwar further said that this year he has invested about Tk 0.13 million (1 lakh 30 thousand) in yellow watermelon cultivation. At the current market price, the price of yellow watermelon is around Tk 150 per kg. Each yellow watermelon weighs about 2 kg. He has already sold watermelons worth more than Tk0.15 million (1.5 lakh). If the weather is good, he can sell yellow watermelon for Tk 0.4-0.5 million (4-5 lakh) more. He is hoping to sell black and yellow watermelons worth around Tk 0.9-one million (10 lakh).
He added that he did not use any pesticides in watermelon cultivation. Shahida Akhter, a local agriculture officer, has been assisting him with watermelon cultivation since the beginning. He wants to cultivate watermelons of different colors in more lands next year.
The district agriculture department says that yellow watermelon has more nutritional value and more sweetness. The soil of Cumilla is suitable for watermelon cultivation. Anwar is an enterprising farmer. Due to his interest, yellow watermelon is being cultivated for the first time in Cumilla, she added.
Local Union Parishad chairman Jamal Pradhan said Anwar Hossain cultivated black watermelon in June last year. Many people laughed at him at that time. Anwar was also successful last year. This time too his yellow watermelon cultivation has received a good response.
Deputy Director of the District Agricultural Extension Department Mohammad Mizanur Rahman said Anwar Hossain started cultivating black watermelon after watching YouTube last year. At that time the officials of the agriculture department of the upazila gave him full support.
