Khulna: With growing interest in agribusiness across the country’s coastal region, watermelon cultivation is gaining popularity among educated unemployed youths in Khulna as a means to achieve economic self-reliance. Due to its low production cost and quick marketing opportunity, watermelon-one of the most profitable Rabi crops-is being cultivated on an increasing scale across various parts of Khulna, the largest watermelon-producing district in the country.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, after failing to secure a suitable job, Shanta Kumar Mondal, a 40-year-old graduate from Kumarkhali village under Garuikhali union of Paikgachha upazila in Khulna, cultivated hybrid F-1 variety watermelons on 25 bighas of land. His fields are brimming with fruit within just 60 days, and by the next two weeks, Shanta hopes each watermelon will weigh between 8 to 10 kilograms. The production cost per bigha is around Taka 25,000-30,000, with expected sales revenue of about Taka 1 lakh per bigha.
Many unemployed graduates are currently earning a livelihood during this Rabi season by working on Shanta’s watermelon farm. Shanta stated that he now earns Taka 10 to 12 lakh annually through cultivating watermelon alongside sweet lime (Malta) and maintaining a small shrimp enclosure. Like Shanta, hundreds of educated youths are cultivating watermelons in Paikgachha upazila and elsewhere in the coastal belt. Master’s graduates Imran Hossain and Mithun of Garaikhali Union shared similar experiences, noting the profitability of watermelon farming in the saline-prone coastal lands.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), watermelon has been cultivated on 2,140 hectares of land in Paikgachha Upazila this season, 700 hectares more than last year. However, watermelon farming is not without challenges. Farmers face issues such as a lack of natural water bodies, poor communication, and interrupted electricity supply, which disrupt the cultivation process. To mitigate the water crisis, local farmers rely on electronic pumps to irrigate their fields, leading to increased production costs.
Farmers have suggested that if canals are excavated and roads are developed, production costs could be reduced and marketing would become easier. They also highlighted that better road communications, uninterrupted electricity supply, and digging of canals would double the watermelon yield. Paikgacha Upazila Agriculture Officer Ekramul Hossain mentioned that farmers are being supported with quality seeds and regular advice, and initiatives have been taken to increase irrigation facilities through canal excavation.
Md Rafiqul Islam, additional director of Khulna DAE, remarked that watermelon is a highly profitable crop and last year’s yield was excellent, leading farmers to expand cultivation this year. Watermelon cultivation is opening new doors of economic prosperity for the region, with many educated youths opting for farming over traditional jobs, considering the potential for significant income.
DAE officials expect that over 56 lakh tonnes of watermelon will be harvested from 18,055 hectares of land in the Khulna agriculture zone this year, with an estimated market value exceeding Taka 1,500 crore. For the 2024-25 Rabi season, the Department of Agricultural Extension had initially set a target of cultivating watermelon on 13,432 hectares of land in the zone, aiming for a production of 54.96 lakh metric tonnes. However, the actual cultivated area surpassed the target, reaching 18,055 hectares-an achievement of 134.42 percent. The Khulna agriculture zone comprises the districts of Khulna, Bagerhat, Satkhira, and Narail.