Watermelons from Maheshkhali are now being sold along Cox’s Bazar’s Marine Drive Road. For the past 20 years, farmer couple Badiul Alam and his wife Rokeya Begum have been cultivating crops in the Borochhora area of Marine Drive.
Though originally from Ramu, they have been living near the coastal highway with their family, sustaining their livelihood through seasonal vegetable farming and long-term agricultural work on coastal land.
Badiul Alam said that despite cultivating watermelons every year, the venture was not profitable.
So, this season he opted not to grow them. Instead, he is buying watermelons wholesale from Maheshkhali and selling them directly to locals and tourists along Marine Drive — a shift that he says is earning him slightly better returns.
“In direct sales to tourists, we make a bit more profit. They prefer our watermelons because they know they’re getting them fresh,” he said.
Locals also believe that produce bought directly from farmers is more reliable, free from preservatives, and fresher.
Tourists, especially those eager to try local food and seasonal coastal produce, are also showing interest in buying the watermelons.
By Abdu Rashid Manik
Photo: Hussain Shetu
