Summer bean farming becomes boon for many Rajshahi farmers

Summer bean farming has become a boon for many farmers as many of them have been becoming financially solvent through its farming in the region, including its vast barind tract, for the last couple of years.

Many of the grassroots farmers and other enthusiastic people are cultivating the cash crop commercially due to lucrative market prices, particularly in the advent of the winter season.

Generally, the bean is a winter vegetable but it is being cultivated during summer season commercially at present making both the growers and consumers happy. Currently, beans have been appearing in the local markets regularly.

“I’ve been purchasing beans from local kitchen markets and vendors for over the last one month,” said Jahanara Khatun, a housewife of Kazihata area in the city.

Currently, the vegetable is being sold at around Taka 60 to 80 per kilogram on an average in retail markets during the last couple of days.

“Bean is one of my favorite vegetables and we are getting it during summer side by side with winter,” said Ferdousi.

Piarul Islam, a farmer of Dharampur village under Godagari upazila, has become successful in bean farming that has made him solvent.

“I had earned a profit of around Taka 60,000 after cultivating the vegetable on ten katha of land last year,” he said with a smiling face.

He has cultivated the vegetable on one bigha of land with setting up stages made of bamboo sticks this season and has been selling the crop for the last couple of weeks at lucrative price.

Islam said farmers spend around Taka 35,000 to 40,000 for cultivating beans on one bigha of land and get a yield of 150 to 200 maunds from per bigha on an average.

Babul Akter, 56, another farmer of Purakhali village, has cultivated the crop on 12 katha of land this year after getting success on four katha last year.

In the previous times, people had to cultivate the vegetable on homesteads and rooftops only in winter seasons but at present the cash crop is being cultivated in both summer and winter seasons on farming fields commercially to meet the gradually mounting demands.

Ahad Ali, a farmer of Kantapasha village, said that he cultivated beans on six bighas of land this year.

“After obtaining my master’s degree, I joined a school. At the same time I started bean cultivation as it is very profitable,” he said.

Sub Assistant Agriculture Officer Atanu Sarker told BSS that many people are seen cultivating the vegetable and agri officials are extending technological and inspirational support to the grassroots farmers for boosting the bean production.

Deputy Director of Department of Agricultural Extension Mozdar Hossain said the farmers use three varieties of seed- Ghrita Kanchan, Rupbhan and Auto- and they are getting extra benefit from the farming as the varieties are high yielding.

Large numbers of farmers are now engaged in bean cultivation commercially in recent times considering its economic prospect.

Jahangir Alam Khan, project coordinator of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM), said bean cultivation has become an effective means of making fortunes for many farmers in the region. (BSS)