Sweet pumpkin farmers happy in Thakurgaon

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BSS, Thakurgaon :
The sweet pumpkin farmers of the district are happy with the profitable prices of the crop.
This year the yield of sweet pumpkin production was good and in accordance to demand the price was also higher than last year.The whole sale market price of sweet pumpkin was
Taka 400 to 450 per manud at the beginning of the harvesting season but last year it was Taka only 200 to 220.
A farmer Abdul Jabbar of Dholorhat village under Thakurgaon Sadar Upazila said that this season he had cultivated sweet pumpkin on 2 acres of land. Cultivating the crop he spend Taka 64,000.
The yield of sweet pumpkin was 170 maunds in per acre. He sold his crop at Taka 420 per maund and got Tk. 1, 42, 800. So he earned net profit was 78, 800 in 2 acres of land.
Another farmer of Yakubpur village under the same upazila Rajesh Chandra Roy said that last year he had sold his crop at Taka 200 to 220 per maund but this year he sold at Taka 400 to 420 per maund on the field.
A farmer of Bhabanandapur village under Ranisankail upazila Abul Hossain said that due to the high demand this year he sold his crop on the field and could save the carrying cost of Taka 5 per maund and toll of the market Taka 15 per maund.
Due to the high demand the traders of different districts came here to purchase the sweet pumpkin.
A whole sale sweet pumpkin trader of Thakurgaon-Govindanagar Anwar Hossain 50 said that he had purchased 400 maunds of sweet pumpkin from the field of Kuleshwar Barman of Dholorhat under Thakurgaon sadar upazila and kept in his godown.
At present the price fell down. Now it is selling at Taka 240 to 250 per maund. So after 2 months he will sale it when the price will go up. He is preserving the sweet pumpkins by sprinkling dry dolochun to save the pumpkins from flies, ants and other insects.
The Deputy Director of Agriculture Extension at Thakurgaon Aeshed Ali said that last year due to less buyer and low market price the farmers could not get profit.
But this year due to high demand and good market price the farmers earned good profit.
After gaining profit the farmers would be more interested to cultivate the sweet pumpkin.
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