Watermelon growers are seeing success in Patuakhali’s Galachipa. Watermelon farmers are expecting to see profit due to good yield like last year. Around different places of the upazila, almost the same picture has been seen. However, some farmers are also saying exceptional things, although most of the farmers are profiting, many are not profiting much due to lack of experience. Chunnu Mia, an experienced watermelon grower of Prem Pole in Galachipa town, said, “I have got a lot of yield this year as well.” I will gain about 5 times. I can now sell watermelons worth 20 lakh rupees after spending 4 lakh rupees. I heard that many did not yield much. The main reason for this is that the land where the silt falls produces more watermelon. And the land that is inside the wapda, the yield starts to decrease after two or three years. This year, the watermelon farmer of Galachipa Union said. Shafi said, 5 of us planted watermelons on about 20 kani (50 acres) of land in Wapdar slope. The yield has also been good. In this we expect to get about 90 lakh to 1 crore rupees. Apart from this, exceptional farmer Al Amin has responded to the upazila by growing hybrid watermelons of different colors and varieties on 15 acres of land. Some of the watermelons in his field are red, some are yellow or orange. The taste is sweet. The yield is also high. According to the local agriculture department, a record amount of watermelon has been harvested in Galachipa upazila. Various types of high yielding (Ufshi) watermelons have already started coming to the market in Galachipa. Thousands of watermelons are shipped to different areas of the country including Dhaka-Bogra every day. Watermelons are going to different parts of the country in hundreds of trucks every day. Again many trucks are lined up waiting to be loaded with watermelons. The market is very high so far. Farmers are also starting to see profits. Amkhola, Golkhali of upazila, Phulkhali of Dakua union, Atkhali, Muradnagar of Galachipa union, Itbaria, Boalia, Panpatti, Ratandi Taltali, Ulania, Chiknikandi and other villages have been visited, watermelon fields are everywhere. Farmers are having a busy time in some fields. Almost everyone is busy in tending the fields including cutting watermelons and handing them over to moneylenders, applying pesticides and irrigation. Among all these, wholesalers and moneylenders from different parts of the country including Dhaka have come to the villages of watermelons. Zahirul Khan, a farmer of Golkhali Union, said that he has cultivated watermelon on seven acres of land this time. A total of 5 lakhs of rupees have been spent on watermelon cultivation. He expected to make a profit of Tk 10 lakh after deducting expenses by selling watermelons. Galachipa Upazila Agriculture Officer Arju Akhter said, this time watermelon production in the upazila will exceed five thousand tons. According to the upazila agriculture office, watermelons have been planted on a total of 7,800 hectares in Galachipa upazila, which is more than last year.
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