‘Rupvan’, ‘Rani’, these are actually the names of early varieties of beans. In the current season, along with ‘Rupvan’ and ‘Rani', ‘biscuit’, ‘auto', ‘Ipsa’ 1, 2 and ‘Bari' 1, 2 and 4 verities of beans have been cultivated in Jibannagar upazila of Chuadanga.
In collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, farmers have cultivated these early beans in advance as winter vegetables along with other crops to keep the rural economy running. Fields are filled with white and purple flowers and new beans are peeking in between them.
Early varieties of beans have already started sprouting. Farmers are hoping for a good yield of beans this season due to the flowering of nutritious trees and abundant flowers. As a result, they have a sweet smile on their faces during this difficult time of Corona.
According to the information provided by Jibannagar Upazila Department of Agriculture Extension, farmers have planted different varieties of beans in 112 hectares of land in the Upazila this year. Which is 30 hectares more than last year.
Farmers are seen busy picking beans in different areas of the upazila. Standing on a rural road, as far as the eye can see, there are only green bean fields full of green leaves and purple flowers to be seen. There is a temporary market in the village for
selling beans.
From these markets, shallow engine-powered vehicles and trucks full of beans are going to different markets of the country including the capital. At present, beans are being sold at Tk 70 to 80 per kg. However, in the beginning, farmers sold these beans at Tk 150 to 170.
Badsha Mandal, a farmer from Andulbaria village in the upazila, said he has firmed beans on 2 Bighas of land. He has already sold beans worth Tk 1.25 lakh. He is hoping to sell more beans worth Tk 2 lakh in the current season.
Tahajjat Hossain, another farmer from Raipur village in the upazila, said beans are mainly winter vegetables. He planted beans on one Bigha of land a little earlier in the hope of higher price. The cost was Tk 35 to 40 thousand per Bigha. He hopes to get Tk 1.5 lakh profit on per Bigha of beans excluding all expenses.
Abdul Haque, a wholesale bean trader from Dehati village, said beans are being bought from local farmers and sent to various wholesale markets in the country including Dhaka, Sylhet, Gazipur and Narayanganj. New beans have already started being sent. The demand and price of beans in the retail market is quite good.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Sharmin Akhter said early vegetable cultivation is risky. However, farmers can earn extra money from planting these in advance. At the beginning of the current season, the bean field was attacked by fungi and insects.
But with the advice and proper care of the agriculture department, the bean yield has improved in the end. The price is better than other years. The Department of Agriculture is working at the field level to increase bean production, she added.