Off-season bean cultivation is gaining momentum and bringing smile to the poor and marginal farmers across the district in all six upazilas this season as weather condition is favourable for the cultivators.
While visiting several areas in Kaliganj upazila, it was found that the farmers were working enthusiastically in the cropland for achieving a repeated bumper production and good price in the local kitchen markets.
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) office sources, around 250 bighas of land have been brought under off-season bean cultivation across the district as the farmers got bumper yield and fair price last year.
The department also provided agri-impute and standard quality of seeds among the eager over last two months.
Farmer Abdul Khaleque of Kulbaria village under Harinakundo upazila said: “I have cultivated bean on one bigha of land spending Tk 40,000 this year. I have already earned Tk 5,000 in the last week and hope to earn at least Tk 30,000 as profit.”
At present, bean is selling at Tk 70 to Tk 80 per kg in local markets and the price is expected to increase after two months. A farmer can earn at least Tk 40,000 by cultivating the bean on one bigha of land.
Bean farmers of Harinakundo upazila Shariful and Barek said: “We have decided to cultivate the bean variety considering its growing demand and high price in the market.”
Farmers Momenuddin, Dudu Mian,Shahidul Islam, Araj Ali, Shariful Islam of Betuli village in Kaliganj upazila said that they were highly benefited by cultivating the vegetable.
They said that they had to expend Tk25,000 for cultivating the vegetable on one bigha of land. But they had earned Tk1 lakh by selling bean.
Farmer Tota Mia said: “I have cultivated 0.10 acre of land under off-season bean in my own cropland spending Tk1,400 and I expect Tk12,000 as profit after harvesting the crop.”
Kalam Mandol, a bean cultivator of Charkhajura village under Sadar upazila, said: “Jhenidah is a major area for vegetables production.”
“But, for want of any preservation facility, these get rotten,” he added.
The DAE and Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) have organised field day, special training, motivational and various supportive programmes, and imparted necessary technical assistance to the growers.
Deputy Director of Jhenidah DAE Shah Md Akramul Haque said: “The farmers in the district are becoming interested in bean cultivation day by day as it has proved more profitable.”