Summer ahead: Which district leads watermelon production in Bangladesh?

TBS Illustration

Bangladesh has reported a record watermelon production during the fiscal year 2021-2022, with an output reaching 25.47 lakh tonnes, where  Patuakhali emerged as the top contributor delivering 9.63 lakh tonnes which is 37.8% of the national yield.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Khulna followed closely with 5.59 lakh tonnes, making up 22% of the total production. 

Bhola contributed 20.2% to the national production, producing  5.13 lakh tonnes.

Noakhali added 1.60 lakh tonnes, 6.3%, and Barguna added 0.78 lakh tonnes – 3.1% of the total national yield. 

The rest of the 59 districts combined account for 2.73 lakh tonnes – 10.7% of the country's total watermelon production.

What's waiting for this year?

Looking ahead, for the ongoing 2023-24 fiscal year, the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Barishal has set an ambitious goal to expand watermelon cultivation to 54,002 hectares across six high-yielding districts in the division, which is 14% higher than last year.

In the previous fiscal year 2022-23, the target area was 46,451 hectares. Cultivation, however, occurred over 64,183 hectares, producing 2.724 million metric tonnes.

So far this year, cultivation has occurred on 3,618 hectares, with cultivation still underway on the remaining land, said regional government authorities. 

According to their data, in Barishal alone, watermelon cultivation this year has covered 942 hectares exceeding the target.

In Pirojpur, against a target of 120 hectares, cultivation has so far occurred on 18 hectares. 

Jhalokathi has a target of 50 hectares, with 40 hectares already cultivated this year.

In Patuakhali, against a target of 28,745 hectares, 1,956 hectares have been cultivated. 

In Barguna, 615 hectares have been cultivated against a target of 13,838 hectares.

In Bhola, cultivation has occurred on 15,005 hectares against a target of 11,249 hectares. 

Bhola and Patuakhali are the districts with the highest watermelon cultivation in the division.

"The cultivation target is expected to be met. Watermelon yield is always good in the Barishal division. We hope that if farmers get a good price in the market, it will contribute significantly to the national economy," said Shawkat Osman, the regional additional director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Barishal.

He thinks due to the cost-effective and high-yield potential, farmers' interest in watermelon cultivation has surged.

"It takes about four months from land preparation to the end of the season. Moreover, the high productivity of watermelons has encouraged many to start experimental cultivation. Within the next four to five years, watermelon farming is expected to bring economic prosperity to the people of the Barishal region," Shawkat explained.

Meanwhile in the last year, across the southern regions of the country, many farmers also ventured into off-season watermelon cultivation.

According to information from the Department of Agriculture, around 41 hectares of land in the district were used by nearly 400 farmers for off-season watermelon cultivation.

In the Khulna region, around five hundred hectares of land were brought under off-season watermelon cultivation last year.

The surge in watermelon production not only meets the increasing domestic demand but also holds the potential to boost the country's agricultural exports. 

On 14 March last year, watermelon entered the export basket as Sattar International of Chattogram shipped a consignment of 13.32 tonnes of watermelons, valued at $4,000, to Malaysia in reefer containers [refrigerated containers] from the Chattogram Port.