Among early winter vegetables, beans are now the most profitable for farmers. Growing beans across wide fields, individual farmers are earning 40,000 to 80,000 taka profit per bigha. Their socio-economic condition has changed in recent years, but awareness of protecting themselves from pesticides has not kept pace.

The fields look like a sea of beans, green covered with white and purple flowers, and it is hard to find another crop. For cost against return, nothing pays farmers better, at least in these days before winter.

Farmers said that without heavy rain, profit is 60,000 to 80,000 taka per bigha.

This profit has changed the area's socio-economic picture in a few years. One farmer said he once had only one and a half bighas; with money from beans he has bought 10 bighas. Some have built brick houses. Bean cultivation grows every year.

Meherpur Sadar upazila agriculture officer A K M Kamruzzaman said beans cover more than 150 bighas here, and several truckloads go to market from the area every day.

But farmers' awareness has not grown with the change: young and old alike have become used to applying pesticides in risky ways. The question is how long before this changes.

Source: Shykh Seraj, Hridoye Mati O Manush. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.