Low price, yield hit Faridpur Lalmi melon farmers
Lalmi variety of muskmelons, a fragrant and delicious fruit, is a popular choice for iftar during the month of Ramadan. It is known for its nutritional value and its ability to quench thirst.
While the fruit can be cultivated almost all year round, farmers in Faridpur's Sadarpur upazila cultivate Lalmi melons targeting its high demand during Ramadan.
However, farmers claim that this year untimely rains destroyed the seeds along with the fertilisers and pesticides in the fields, and they had to replant the crop.
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As a result, the yield has been lower than expected, and farmers are not getting a good price for their produce.
Lalmi melon is extensively cultivated in Bhasanchar, Krishnapur and Charbishnupur unions of Sadarpur upazila every year. Farmers here start cultivating Lalmi 45 to 50 days before the beginning of Ramadan.
According to the farmers, the production cost for Lalmi melons is about Tk20,000-30,000 per bigha. Farmers can get up to Tk1.5 lakh worth of yield if the weather is favourable.
Lalmi melons from this area are supplied to Dhaka and various parts of the country every year a few weeks before the start of Ramadan.
However, farmers are worried about the rising production costs and the lower prices they are getting for their produce this year. They are also concerned about the impact of the weather on the quality of the fruit.
Gani Fakir, a farmer from the Motukchar area of the upazila, said that heavy rains right after the plantation led to seed rotting.
"The production cost has almost doubled. On top of that, the yield is not good and we are also not getting good prices. I am worried whether I will be able to recover the cost of Lalmi cultivation this year," he said.
Another farmer, Mokib Matubbor of Shouldubi village, said that the demand for Lalmi was high at the beginning of Ramadan. However, prices have fallen from Tk5,500-7,000 per 100 pieces to Tk2,500-3,000.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Nitol Roy said that this year Lalmi melon has been cultivated on 350 hectares of land in the upazila. However, the untimely rains have caused a lot of damage to the farmers. There is some concern about getting a good price due to the yield not being available on time and not being able to be marketed.
