In the village of Subarnarchar, southeast of Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka, 26-year-old Sribash Chandra Das has become a role model of sorts among farmers. That’s remarkable because, only three years ago, he came close to giving up on farming all together.
He had started out growing rice like his father, from whom he had inherited his passion for farming. But rice brings low profits, Sribash’ land was leased and he lacked the know-how to get decent yields. After a series of financial losses, he considered becoming a day labourer instead.
“I didn’t know what I could do. How would I put food on our plates?” the father of two recalls.
Rather than changing professions, he made a fresh start by changing what he grows.
He joined a government project that trained him in growing more lucrative crops like tomatoes, eggplants, and bottle gourds. He received high-quality seeds, vermicompost, and fertilizers, and he learned good practices to boost his yields.
With new confidence, he decided to try growing watermelons – a challenge in his village because of the high salt content in the soil.
He began mulching – covering the soil with organic matter to manage salinity and preserve moisture. This method allowed him to cultivate two new variants of watermelons: Black Queen and Yellow Dragon.
“In the past, most farmers in our village did not even dream of farming anything other than rice,” he stresses.
At the local market, his high-quality watermelons fetched 70 Bangladeshi taka per kilogram – some 60 cents, in US dollars . All together, he made a profit of nearly BDT 200 000, or USD 1 700, that season, which is a lot of money where he lives.
“Now, many of my neighbours come to me for advice on shifting to fruits and vegetables,” he says. “You will see a lot of watermelon, tomato and bottle gourd fields around. Things have changed!”
Motivated by Sribash's success and advice, Rashed, a 35-year-old former migrant worker, started vegetable farming and earned some USD 2 500 in one season. Now, the two have partnered and are harvesting watermelons together.
For Sribash, his farm finally provides stability and a chance to save for bigger dreams,
like the motorbike he just bought to replace his old bicycle. “Next, I hope I can buy my own patch of land, so that I can work on my own terms.”
