Some 25,000 families, mostly victims of river erosion and landless, changed fortune through farming pumpkin on sandbars in Rangpur agriculture region in last nine years.

Earlier, these landless families had to live in miseries on the shoals ((char landmass emerging from riverbed), riverside flood control embankments and highlands due toabject poverty for many years since becoming victims of river erosion.

However, they are leading comfortable life now through mostly pumpkin cultivation with assistance of different government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in five riverine districts of the region.

Khandker Mesbahul Islam, horticulture specialist of Department of Agriculture Extensions (DAE), said char people are showing interest in pumpkin farming after getting repeated bumper production and better profits in recent years.

“Some 25,000 char families cultivated pumpkin on sandbars in over 2,000 hectares of char lands in Rangpur, Gaibandha, Nilphamari, Kurigram and Lalmonirhat districts under Rangpur agriculture region last season,” he said. “They produced over 50,000 tonnes of pumpkin (sweet gourd) worth over Tk 500 crore last season in the region,” he said, adding that char people might bring over 2,500 hectares of char lands under cultivation of the cash crop this season.