Watermelon exceeds target in Rangamati

27 March 2009, 18:00 PM

Our Correspondent, Rangamati

Boatloads of watermelon ready for transport to other areas as Rangamati hill district sees bumper yield of the juicy summer fruit this year. Photo: STAR

Watermelon production has exceeded target this year and the juicy summer fruit has started to flood the local markets. However, they are still a bit pricey ahead of the traditional “Bijhu Utsab,” the festival of the indigenous community in the last two days of the Bangla month of Chaitra. Agriculture Extension Department (AED) sources said some 280 hectares of lowland and chars of Kaptai Lake were brought under melon cultivation this year against 169 hectares last year. Total production was 7,760 metric tonnes (MT) last year while it may cross 11,160 MT this season. There are six varieties of melons in the district. But only Topel, Glory and Champion have high demand in the local markets as they are sweeter and larger in size. A big size melon is being sold between Tk 90 and 120 in the hill town and the smaller ones at Tk 50 to 70.