Watermelons hanging from trellises: Nilphamari farmer Omar Ali dreams of Tk 6 lakh profit from off-season cultivation
From a distance it looks as if gourds and pumpkins are hanging from the trellises. Up close, the picture is different: juicy watermelons — yellow, green and striped — hang in net bags made of mesh. A farmer in Nilphamari has drawn attention with this off-season watermelon cultivation, and local people are crowding in to see the colourful fruit hanging in rows.
Omar Ali, 45, of Purba Dangapara in Lakshmichap Union under Nilphamari Sadar Upazila, has grown off-season watermelons for the first time. On three bighas of land he planted 6,000 watermelon seedlings of two varieties, 'King Sugar' and 'Surjo Dim'. The fruit is now growing across the vines, and if everything goes well he hopes to make a profit of about Tk 600,000 after costs from selling the harvest.
On the ground, the two varieties have been grown on rows of trellises built across the field. The structure for the vines to climb was made with bamboo poles, GI wire and thick netting. Between the green leaves hang watermelons of different sizes — some yellow, some dark green, others marked with stripes. Each fruit sits in a bag made of netting so it can hang safely from the trellis.
From one end of the field to the other, the rows of hanging watermelons have created an unusual farming scene. Omar Ali himself regularly tends the base of the plants and the area around the trellises. Judging by the current condition of the plants he expects a good yield, and he plans to harvest and market the watermelons within the scheduled time.
How did the idea come to him? Omar Ali said: 'I used to grow cucumbers. One day I saw this new type of watermelon cultivation in a video and became interested. I thought I could try this new watermelon alongside conventional crops. Later I contacted a company in Dhaka and collected the seedlings. This is the first time I have started watermelon cultivation on three bighas.'
Breaking it down by variety, he said he grew King Sugar on two of the three bighas and Surjo Dim on one bigha, planting 6,000 seedlings of the two varieties in total. The plants are now 60 days old, and he hopes to be able to harvest the watermelons within 70 days.
The farmer also laid out his costs and possible earnings. He said about Tk 300,000 has been spent so far on cultivating the three bighas — roughly Tk 100,000 per bigha — and he has used 6,000 net bags for 6,000 watermelons. If each watermelon weighs three kilograms on average, total production could reach 18,000 kilograms. At Tk 50 per kilogram, that would mean sales of about Tk 900,000, leaving the hoped-for profit of Tk 600,000 after costs.
Curiosity about the crop has spread among other farmers in the area. Local farmer Jagadish Roy said: 'We were surprised to see this new type of watermelon being grown here. These fields previously grew maize, wheat, jute, paddy and other crops. But we had never seen watermelons grown on trellises like this. Seeing the condition of the field and the yield, we too have become interested in growing this watermelon. It looks like it could be a profitable crop.'
The agriculture department also views the initiative positively. Homayra Mondal, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Nilphamari district, said Omar Ali has cultivated watermelon out of season and there is currently demand for it in the market. Because it is produced locally, the farmer will be able to sell at a good price, while consumers will be able to buy fresh watermelons at comparatively good prices.
She added: 'We have already inspected the watermelon field. He will be given the necessary advice and guidance on cultivation so that he can get an even better yield in future. His effort to grow this new fruit on his own initiative is praiseworthy. We welcome his initiative. We hope he will get a good price for the watermelons he produces.'
Farmers in the area also see promise in this crop beyond the conventional ones. All eyes are now on Omar Ali's field — whether the yield and market price match his calculations once the 70 days are complete will decide how far this off-season watermelon spreads across the area next season.
