Three successive spells of excessive rain caused a severe crop failure of early (off-season) beans in Ishwardi, Pabna. With most of the upazila's 910 hectares of early beans under water, the plant bases rotted under insect attack and the leaves dried and turned yellow. Flowers dropped from the bearing bean plants.

Where 40-50 kg of beans could be picked from a bigha every day, not even one kilogram was being harvested because waterlogging made the flowers drop. After the water was drained from the flooded fields, farmers applied pesticide and fertiliser and tended the crop, and most plants have come back to life. Beans started bearing again two weeks ago. Farmers are now regularly picking and marketing beans, bringing relief to growers hurt in the monsoon. Good prices are giving them hope.

According to the upazila agriculture office, the upazila is well known for beans, which have been grown on 1,400 hectares, including 910 hectares of early beans. The upazila agriculture office has moved to give incentives to bean growers and other farmers hurt by this year's heavy rain.

Bean growers said beans have been grown commercially in Muladuli union of the upazila for about 20 years.

Although beans are a winter vegetable, farmers here began growing the early Rupban and "Auto" varieties eight years ago in the hope of bigger profits. Because these beans reach the market before winter, they fetch higher prices. Early beans are sown at the end of Jyoishtho and the start of Asharh, and start bearing at the beginning of Bhadra. This year, repeated heavy rain throughout Srabon and Bhadra flooded most bean fields, causing crop failure. With no harvest at the expected time, farmers suffered heavy losses.

A visit to Ramnathpur, Sheikhpara, Faridpur, Goalbathan and Baghhachhla, known as the upazila's bean villages, found farmers tending their fields after draining the water. With fertiliser and pesticide, the near-dead plants have begun to strengthen. The plants are in flower and beans are forming in bunches. Farmers have started picking and selling, and with good prices they hope to recover their losses.

Sohel Rana, a bean grower in Baghhachhla village of Muladuli union, told Jago News: "In other years we make a good profit from early beans after costs. This year, from the time the flowers came, continuous rain and waterlogging badly damaged the fields. After draining the land, spraying and tending, the crop has started bearing again. The market price is good now. If there is no other natural disaster, we will be able to recover at least some of the loss."

Enamul Haque Elin, a farmer from the same village, said: "Because the fields were damaged by the rain, there was no crop until now. Prices have fallen a little, but beans still sell at Tk 130 a kg wholesale. Had the land not been waterlogged, we would have covered our costs by now and made more profit."

Raihan Ali, a bean grower in Ramnathpur village, said: "We have had to endure all kinds of disasters after planting beans this time. I thought the whole crop would be ruined. By Allah's mercy the crop has started again. I have sold beans several times at Tk 130 a kg. If prices don't fall, farmers will be able to recover some of their losses."

Sujan Sheikh, owner of Alam Traders, a wholesale produce depot at Muladuli Ambagan, said: "Early beans have started arriving at the depot in small quantities. Farmers were badly hurt by the heavy rain this year; otherwise this would be the full early-bean season. Every day at least 30-35 trucks of beans used to go from this depot to Dhaka and depots across the country. Now 20-22 trucks of beans and okra together are going. I hope bean trading will be in full swing within the next two weeks. Beans are selling at Tk 125-130 a kg at the depot."

Upazila agriculture officer Mita Sarkar told Jago News: "Two weeks of continuous rain caused waterlogging in several parts of the upazila, damaging beans and other early vegetables. After the waterlogging cleared, farmers resumed cultivation with fresh energy. Our field-level agriculture officers are helping farmers with advice in various ways. The upazila agriculture office has brought those hurt by waterlogging under the Rabi incentive programme. We are trying to make up some of their losses through incentives."

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