FARIDPUR, May 27, 2019(BSS)- Lalmi, a new kind of juicy and yellowish cantaloupe (bangi) farming brings boon for farmers of Faridpur.
The medium-sized, fleshy and delicious fruit gets popularity for its distinctive demand of invigorating the people with its watery and cooling juice in the scorching heat especially in the summer season.
Having the similar nature of ‘Bangi’, it’s slightly different in taste and colour. The skin of the Lalmi fruit is smooth and plain while Bangi seems long cavities and veins on its body. Therefore the very name Lalmi has been given by the local farmers for its unique color and taste, locals said.
Although Bangi is Rovi crop, the Lalmi might be cultivated round the year except two months of winter. It takes only 60 days to be matured since farming. Hence, the farmers get opportunity of farming the Lalmi ahead of Ramadan.
Every standard and long size Lalmi weighing about 750-800 gm costs Taka 20/30 in retail price in this period.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Faridpur reports that the cultivation of Lalmi gains more popularity among the farmers specially in Sadarpur, Nagarkanda and Bhanga upazila in the district.
Lalmi has been cultivated in around 600 hectors of land this year yielding around 15 to 16 Metric tonnes in each hector. It’s a business of around Taka 50 core for farmers this season, source said.
While visiting the fields in different villages – Bhasanchar, Ramnagar , Piajkhali , Mutukchar, Notun bazaar, Karir hat, Akoter char- this correspondent recently found that the farmers are busy harvesting Lalmi fruits from their farms.
Abu Bakar Siddique, a vendor of Lalmi in Faridpur town said, production of Lalmi this season was very satisfactory and prices is also good.
Deputy Director of DAE in Faridpur Kartick Chandra Chakroborty told BSS that Lalmi cultivation is an innovative production of Faridpur farmers. One can eat Lalmi in two ways – green Lalmi as a vegetable as well as ripen one as a fruit.
The Lalmi has high nutritional and digestive value which can be grown in plenty in other parts of the country, he said.