RANGPUR, Jan 1, 2022 (BSS) - Many people are reaping high profit from pumpkin on char lands and dried-up riverbeds in Rangpur agriculture region this season.

   Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said char people are getting lucrative prices of newly harvested early varieties of pumpkin now recouping crop losses they incurred during last year's floods.

  After getting repeated bumper production and better prices in recent years, char people are farming pumpkins with other winter crops adopting mixed-relay and intercropping methods on more char lands this season.

  Additional Director of the DAE's Rangpur region Agriculturist Md. Tauhidul Ikbal told BSS that harvest of early varieties of pumpkin continues on char lands and dried-up riverbeds where sowing of various winter crop seeds still continues.

  The DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institution (BARI), RDRS Bangladesh and many other NGOs are extending assistance to char people to promote crop cultivation on char lands.

  "Tender plants of pumpkin are growing superbly amid favorable climatic conditions on char lands and dried-up riverbeds predicting its bumper production this season," Ikbal added. Senior Coordinator (Agriculture and Environment) of RDRS Bangladesh Agriculturist Mamunur Rashid said around 60,000 char and riverside families have already changed fortune through farming pumpkins with other crops in the last 13 years.

  "Char people have sowed pumpkin seeds on more char lands and silted-up beds of the Brahmaputra, Jamuna, Dudhkumar, Teesta, Dharla, Karotoa, Ghaghot and other rivers to complete harvesting of the crop by May next," he said. They are also harvesting its early varieties and selling every piece at rates between Taka 60 and 80 depending on size and varieties now to earn excellent profits.

   Talking to BSS, landless char and riverside people Anwarul Islam, Kobiza Khatun and Abdur Razzaque of village Paschim Mohipur in Gangachara upazila of Rangpur narrated their success stories of achieving self-reliance through pumpkin cultivation.

  "We have spent Taka 16,000 each for farming pumpkins on 200 sandbars each aiming at selling the produce at Taka 45,000 to earn a net profit of Taka 30,000 by each after completing harvest by May next," said Morsheda Begum of the village. Marginal farmer Abdur Rahim of Dhushmara Char village in Kawnia upazila of Rangpur said he has cultivated pumpkins with other crops like banana, onion, garlic, vegetables, green chili, potato and brinjal on char lands.

  "I have spent Taka 12,000 for farming pumpkins on 120 sandbars each with a hope to sell the produce at Taka 30,000 and earn a net profit of Taka 18,000 each after completing harvest this season," said Rahim.

  Marginal farmer Hossain Ali of Dhushmara Char in Kawnia upazila of Rangpur said he sowed pumpkin seeds for 3,000 plants on sandbars on the dried-up Teesta riverbed with a hope to earn Taka 1.40 lakh this season.

  "Everyone in our village is expanding cultivation of pumpkin with other winter crops adopting intercropping and mixed-relay methods on the dried-up sandy riverbed to earn lucrative profits this time," he added.