Three successive bouts of excessive rain have caused the early bean crop to fail in Ishwardi, Pabna. Most of the upazila's 910 hectares went under water, and pest attacks are now rotting the roots. Leaves have dried and turned yellow and flowers have dropped, causing a severe crop failure. In this season last year, 40-50 kg of beans could be picked from one bigha each day. This year not even 1 kg of beans can be had from a bigha.

A visit to the Baghhachhla, Sheikhpara, Muladuli Madhyapara and Goalbathan areas of Muladuli union found early beans grown on hundreds of hectares; wherever the eye falls there are only bean fields. Farmers were tending the plants, applying fertiliser and seed and picking beans, and women were working alongside men caring for the flowers and shoots.

Bean farmers said beans have been grown commercially in Muladuli union for about 20 years. Although beans are a winter vegetable, in hope of higher profits farmers began growing the early Rupban and Auto varieties eight years ago. Because these beans reach the market before winter, they fetch higher prices, so everyone became keen on early beans and their cultivation grew steadily. Farmers profited and changed their fortunes. But early beans come with many difficulties: they need more fertiliser, pesticide and irrigation, cost more, and there are natural disasters too.

The farmers said heavy rain fell three times in a row in August and September this year under the influence of depressions, submerging most of the early bean land. The flooded fields are close to ruin: roots have rotted, leaves are yellowing and flowers have dropped. Fertiliser and pesticide cannot stop the rot. Early beans had begun to yield this year, with up to 15-20 kg picked per bigha; now not even 1 kg comes from a bigha. Beans sell at Tk 300 a kg, but with the plants ruined they cannot be found in the market. Given the damage, farmers will face heavy losses.

Rezaul Islam, a bean farmer in Sheikhpara village, said: "Early bean farmers are weeping in silence this time. My 5 bighas of beans are now close to being completely ruined. Pests are killing the plants. From land where I sold 40-45 kg of beans 20 days ago, there are no beans now. I have already spent about Tk 1.8 lakh growing beans on 5 bighas. The waterlogging has made all the flowers drop and the plants rot. Hundreds of farmers like me have been ruined this time."

Rajib Hossain, a bean farmer in Muladuli, said: "After three rounds of rain the early bean fields were under water. The water has gone down, but pests at the base are killing the plants. Leaves are turning yellow and falling, and the flowers and shoots that had come out are ruined. Everyone who grew early beans has been hit. Many are pulling up the ruined plants and clearing the land to prepare for winter beans."

Enamul Islam Elin, a bean farmer in Baghhachhla village, told Jago News: "Water pooled in the fields after three sudden bouts of heavy rain, and the bean plants are now dying. A new railway line has been built beside this area, and it stops the rainwater from draining, so the whole area becomes waterlogged when it rains. The waterlogging has rotted the roots of the bean plants, and fertiliser and pesticide cannot stop it."

Banesa Begum of the same village said: "Waterlogging from the rain has badly damaged the bean plants. I picked beans from the field 15 days ago; now there are none. The plants are dying and the flowers are falling. All the bean farmers have been hit."

Upazila agriculture officer Mita Sarkar told Jago News: "Muladuli union is famous for beans. Beans are grown on 1,400 hectares in the upazila, of which early beans cover 910 hectares. Several rounds of heavy rain waterlogged the fields, and the bean plants lost their vigour."

Advising farmers, she said: "Drain the water quickly from any land that is still waterlogged. The agriculture department is trying to help affected farmers through the coming rabi incentive to make up at least some of the loss. Sub-assistant agriculture officers in the field are also giving various advice to save the bean plants."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.