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Watermelon, the most sought after fruit during Ramadan, is still selling at an exorbitant price in Chandpur, Rajshahi, Narail and Khulna districts despite its abundant supply since the beginning of the month of fasting.
Our Chandpur Correspondent says, the juicy summer fruit which has a high demand during Ramadan is now remarkably pricier than the previous year in the district's markets. A big sized watermelon sells at Tk 700 per piece while a standard sized one sells at Tk 450 to Tk 500.
A medium sized watermelon sells at Tk 400 to Tk 450 per piece while a small sized one at Tk 250 to Tk 300 per piece.
Every day, large consignments of watermelons come to Chandpur by steel-body trawlers right from distant districts- Bhola, Charfashion, Barguna, Suborno Char, Patuakhali and a few other areas in Barishal.
Al Amin, a day labourer, said, "Every day 10/15 trawlers, each carrying 10/12 to 15 thousand pieces of watermelons, come to the river jetty from Bhola, Barishal, Barguna, Patuakhali, etc. It delights the day labourers."
But despite ample supply of the seasonal juicy fruit, its price has not yet reduced, lamented a number of buyers- namely Mozammel Hoque, Faruque Dewan, Shahriar Hossain, Tofazzol Hossain and Salahuddin Mia- a veteran banker.
According to the small watermelon traders at No 10 Chowdhury Ghat in Chandpur town, due to the high prices of diesel and other fuel oils, tolls and abnormal rise in the prices of essential commodities and hike in daily labour wages, the price of water melon is higher this year than the previous years.
Agriculturist Mobarak Hossain of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Chandpur, watermelon is not cultivated in Chandpur district.
The farmers are not interested as the soil and weather here are not suitable for watermelon cultivation.
When contacted, veteran farmers- Shahjahan Miji and Siddiqur Rahman Mia of Lalpur village and Shukkur Gazi of Dhonpordi village in Bishnupur union and Billal Haolader of Raldiya village and Harun Patwary of Mandari village in Chandpur Sadar also echoed the same opinion.
Naresh Chandra Das, another agriculturist of DAE, Chandpur, said, "Actually, the soil and weather of Chandpur are not suitable for watermelon farming.'
"In the past, DAE, Chandpur made a few attempts for cultivation of watermelon in Kochua upazila and other places but in vain.''
Our Correspondent from Rajshahi reports: Visiting different markets, the correspondent found that, watermelons weighing between 5 to 10 kg are available in different markets of the city. Watermelon is being sold at Tk 65 to Tk 80 per kg, last year that was Tk 40 to Tk 55 per kg.
Kabir Hossain, who came to buy watermelons in the town's New Market, said, "The price of a small sized watermelon weighing four kilograms stands at Tk280 at the rate of Tk70 per kg."
But the price of this watermelon should not be more than Tk120; if watermelon of this size is Tk 280, how will people consume it?
Traders are buying watermelons per piece from the fields and selling them per kilogram at a much higher price. These watermelons also lack colour and taste as they are often found immature. There is no one in the country to see this.
Abul Hossain, a retail fruit seller in Saheb Bazar area of the city, said, "We have to buy watermelons from Arat (hub) at the rate of Tk60 per kg. After bringing those here, we sell watermelons at a profit of only Tk five per kg. When the season starts, the price will come down."
Shahjamal, a fruit dealer in Shalbagan area of the city, said, "Last time, 100 watermelons could be bought for Tk15,000; which are now have to be bought for Tk 25,000. We have more expenses. Transport and workers are to be paid. We have to add them and sell watermelons at the wholesale price of Tk50 to Tk 60 per kg"
Traders said that the watermelons that are now available in Rajshahi were brought from different districts of Barisal division. Watermelons are firstly brought from Barguna and Bhola, secondly from Khulna and Chuadanga and finally it is brought from Natore.
According to sources at the DAE, Rajshahi, watermelons usually grow in the country during the April-May period. This is the main season for watermelon. But for the last few years, watermelons are available in the market from May to September. Many people named this watermelon 'Baromasi' (available for all the year round)'. They are also expensive due to untimely growth.
A correspondent from Narail reports: Local farmers are not interested in watermelon cultivation in Narail recent years.
Though the soil of the district is suitable for watermelon cultivation, there has been a remarkable decrease in farming of the nutritious and profitable fruit.
Due to recent fall in production, now buyers have to purchase watermelon at high prices here.
While visiting Rupganj Bazar in the district town, this correspondent saw that watermelon was being sold for Tk 55-60 per kg. Sellers said they have to sell watermelons at high price as they have to add transport costs for buying watermelons from outside the district.
According to the DAE, Narail, watermelon was cultivated on 13 hectares of land only in three upazilas of the district in the current season.
Probir Das, sub-assistant agricultural officer of Lohagora upazila, said, "Land of Digholia and Kashipur union is suitable for watermelon cultivation. Besides, watermelon is being cultivated in some area of Singasholpur and Maizpara union in sadar upazila and Kalia municipality area."
Several buyers who came to buy watermelon in Rupganj Bazar said they failed to buy watermelon for its high price.
Sultan Molla, a resident of Kolora village in Sadar upazila, said that a medium sized watermelon was being sold at Tk350-Tk400 apiece.
Nipu Majumdar, deputy assistant agriculture officer of the DAE, Narail, said, watermelon was cultivated on a vast tract of land in the district 15 years ago.
Although the agriculture department encouraged the farmers to cultivate watermelon, they are not interested in its farming now.
Deputy Director of the DAE, Narail Md Fariduzzaman said due to Ramadan, watermelon growers are getting fair prices of the crop this year. Full season of watermelons has not started yet. For this, supply of watermelons in the market is comparatively less.
After a few days, when supply will rise, watermelon prices will come down. Soil of the district is suitable for the cultivation of the fruit, he added.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mohammad Ashfaqul Haque Chowdhury said necessary steps have been taken to control the market of watermelon, including operation of mobile courts.
Our Khulna correspondent add: Watermelon growers in the coastal district are happy with bumper yield of the fruit and satisfactory price of their produce in the local markets.
Farmers in Khulna, particularly the sandy coastal areas, were encouraged by the last year's yield and began to cultivate watermelon on a larger scale of land as it brought more profit than other traditional crops, including paddy and sesame.
DAE, Khulna sources said this year watermelons have been produced on 12,612 hectares of land in nine upazilas of the district.
Growers are expecting to make a profit of over Tk1,500 million (Tk150 crore) from the sale of the fruit this season.
Favourable weather, irrigation facilities, adequate fertilisers and full support of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) are the main reasons for the bumper yield of the popular summer fruit, DAE official sources said.
During the ongoing harvesting period, traders from different areas of the country are coming to collect watermelon from fields.
During a visit, farmers in Dakop upazila were seen harvesting the fruit and later loading it onto trucks, pickups and trawlers to sell in different places including Jashore, Khulna, Satkhira, Bagerhat, Gopalganj and elsewhere in the country.