Bumper pumpkin output brings fortune to Sherpur farmers

Bumper production of pumpkin in Nakla of Sherpur district has changed the fate of farmers in the current season.Local farmers said, they have been financially benefited by cultivating pumpkin. Many of the farmers have become owners of buildings & land properties in the last few years.

Charbachuralgi, Pichlakuri, Korerkanda, Dhamna, Banerguf & Mominakanda village of Nakla upazila had been named after Lau Para (pumpkin village) for huge pumpkin production. Many farmers of the villagers and adjacent areas are getting economically solvent from the pumpkin cultivation. Ashraf Ali, known as Lau Ashraf, of Mominakanda village is an example for economic solvency.


 He purchased fresh 60 decimals (Locals call 12 katha) of land of arable land in his area for cultivating pumpkin. Not only Ashraf Ali, some other farmers of the area like Kamal, Akther, Shahidul, Mossaraf, Munir, Azim, Nazrul and Mukshed, Murshed & Jowel Ahmed has also achieved visible development by cultivating the vegetabls.Like Mominakanda villages, many farmers of Charasttodhar, Pathakata, Narayen Khola, Talki, Vurddi, Baneswardi, Ganopaddy, Kharjan, Shibbari, Chitholia, Kayda, Kandhapara, Mucharchar, Dodierchar, Charmadhua, Shikdhar para, Hasunk-hila, Laykha, Bachuralga, Bausha, Kabutarmary & Urfa villages are engaged in producing pumpkin, said farmer Ashraf Ali. While sharing their pumpkin farming experience on the sandy-char lands, local farmers were expressed satisfaction over bumper production of the crop this season.

Ashraf Ali said that, he has been farming pumpkin since 2010 on an average in 60 decimals of land every season. He cultivates suitable pumpkin, Nectar pumpkin, Sweaty pumpkin in all of land. He has taken budget of more than Tk 50,000 for production cost for the current season.

The successful farmer expects of earning about Tk 150,000. He also expects of benefit from some other crops, including paddy and jute. He said constructed the house on 20 decimals of land spending Tk 4 lakh. Other farmer Mukshed Ali said, Every farmer spent Taka 1,000 for cultivating pumpkin in 100 to 120 pits and sold 450 to 500 pieces of pumpkin leaving 45 to 50 pieces at home at Taka 20,000 on an average to earn a net profit of Taka 18,000 each this season.

Krishibid Abdul Wadud, Agriculture Extension Officer (AEO) of the DAE of Nakla upazila, said they have been providing technical support and other assistances to the farmers. Nakla UAO Krishibid Humayun Kabir said, 410 farmers in the upazila cultivated pumpkin in 305 bighas of land in this season with the target of producing 37,828 maunds of pumpkin worth Tk 4.5 crore to Tk 6.5 crore. He also said the farmers of Nakla upazila have been playing a vital role in pumpkin production in Sherpur district.

-Md Musharaf Hossain, Nakla, Sherpur