Rajshahi: Early farming of beans, a nutritious vegetable, has brought prosperity to farmers in the Rajshahi region, including the Barind tract, as they receive lucrative prices over the past few days. An advanced variety of beans has emerged in the markets, selling at Taka 95 to 100 per kilogram in wholesale and Taka 100 to 120 in retail markets. According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, commercial bean farming has gained popularity over the last few years, with many farmers finding success in this cash crop. As demand rises, commercial farming continues to grow, providing farmers with attractive prices for the harvested beans alongside other winter vegetables, pleasing consumers. Piarul Islam, a farmer from Dharampur village in Godagari upazila, experienced success in bean farming, which has brought him financial stability. Last year, he earned around Taka 60,000 from cultivating beans on 10 katha of land. This season, he has expanded to one bigha of land, selling his crop for a profitable price. Farmers typically invest about Taka 35,000 to 40,000 in cultivating beans on one bigha, yielding 150 to 200 maunds per bigha on average. Babul Akter, from Purakhali village, cultivated beans on 12 katha of land this year after a successful previous season. Abdul Mazid from Soipara village has sold beans worth approximately Taka 85,000 this season and expects to earn over Taka two lakh. Many farmers like Abdul Mazid are now engaged in commercial bean cultivation, utilizing modern technology and high-yielding varieties like Ghritakanchan and Rupbhan. In areas such as Huzripara, Chowberia, and Haripur, farmers are actively nurturing their bean fields as the winter season arrives, with beans appearing abundantly in local markets. Ariful Islam, a farmer from Sarail village, harvested beans valued at Taka 45,000 from 10 katha of land, investing Taka 17,000. He highlighted a silent revolution in bean farming across the Barind tract. Jahangir Alam Khan, a regional development activist, noted that farmers are now habituati ng to cultivating beans around their homesteads and using spaces around their homes, leading to regular income and self-reliance. The promotion of homestead gardening is seen as an effective means of supporting villagers financially and nutritionally. Dr. Motaleb Hossain, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), stated that farmers are successfully producing various winter vegetables, including beans, and receiving lucrative prices. The region has brought 80,500 hectares under vegetable cultivation this year, with a production target of about 12.95 lakh tonnes from 87,763 hectares. An estimated 20.42 lakh tonnes of vegetables are expected from 86,653 hectares during the current Rabi season.
