Farmers see bumper pumpkin output in Lalmonirhat char

Bumper production of pumpkin in the sandy-barren char lands has brought smile to 26 poor families of Dakshin Balapara Kutirpar char village under Aditmari upazila in Lalmonirhat to change their fortune.

Earlier, these poor and landless people, including women, of the remote char village under Mohishkhoncha union on the Teesta riverbed led miserable lives due to poverty.

The villagers disclosed the information at an experience-sharing discussion organised by Kutirpar Village Disaster Management Committee (VDMC) on 'Pumpkin cultivation on char lands' in the village on Tuesday, said a press release.

The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) and Agriculture and Environment Unit of RDRS Bangladesh extended assistance in arranging the event with financial cooperation of German donor organisation Bread for the World.

Lead Consultant of Bread for the World Gobind Saha attended the function as the chief guest with Programme Manger (Field Coordination) of RDRS Bangladesh for Lalmonirhat Maidul Islam in the chair.

Senior Coordinator (Agriculture and Environment) of RDRS Bangladesh Mamunur Rashid and its head of Programme Development and Quality Abdur Rahman were present.

While sharing their pumpkin farming experience on the sandy-barren char lands, local farmers Fazlul Haque, Amena Begum, Mofizul Islam and Ajlema Begum expressed satisfaction over bumper production of the crop this season.

Twenty-six char dwellers cultivated pumpkin in 2,600 pits dug on eight acres of sandy char lands in the village spending a total of Tk 26,000 and each of them harvested 450 to 500 pieces of pumpkin this time, reports BSS.

"Every farmer spent Tk 1,000 for cultivating pumpkin in 100 to 120 pits and sold 400 to 450 pieces of pumpkin leaving 50 pieces at home at Tk 18,000 on an average to earn a net profit of Tk 17,000 each this season," said farmer Fazlul Haque.

Farmer Amena Begum said, "I cultivated pumpkin in 100 pits on char lands spending Tk 1,000 and sold the produce at Tk 18,000 to earn a net profit of Tk 17,000 this season."

The chief guest called for extending necessary assistance to the char people for expanding pumpkin cultivation on the char lands to assist them in improving livelihoods and changing fortune.