Bean yields in Sitakunda, Chattogram, have broken all previous records. The agriculture department says that where beans worth an average of Tk 150 crore are produced here in other years, this time beans worth Tk 210 crore have been produced. Farmers are happy with both the bumper yield and fair prices. Farmers and agriculture officials say the beans grown here, after meeting domestic demand, are being exported to Europe, America and various Middle Eastern countries.

According to the upazila agriculture office, Sitakunda is known as a vegetable store. Various vegetables are grown here all year round, but beans are grown the most. Kartikota, Kartikbata, Bata, Puti, Chhuri, Loitta and Rupban beans are grown. Rupban is a summer bean that has been grown for the past few years; the others are grown in the winter season.

On visits to the main bean-growing areas of the upazila, Syedpur, Barayadhala, the municipal sadar, Muradpur, Barabkunda and Banshbaria, farmers spoke about their crops. In Teriail village of Barayadhala union, farmers Md Jamal Ullah, Muksed Ahmed, Anwar Hossain and Manik grow beans.

Jamal Ullah has grown Kartikota beans on 100 decimals. Seed, fertiliser, pesticide, bamboo sticks and labour cost him about Tk 80,000. In the past month he has sold beans worth about Tk 2 lakh, and he expects to sell more than Tk 1 lakh worth more.

He said: "There has been little disease this time. When a problem appears, I contact the sub-assistant agriculture officer in charge, Pipas Kanti Chowdhury. He tells me which medicine to use. By using them as he says, I have benefited and made a profit."

Anwar Hossain has grown Kartikbata beans on 42 decimals. "My cost was about Tk 40,000. I planted late, so sales started only recently. So far I have sold Tk 20,000 worth of beans, and I will sell Tk 60,000 to Tk 70,000 more," he said.

Md Nur Nabi, a farmer in the Nunachhara area of the municipality, said: "I have grown beans on about 150 decimals at a cost of Tk 1 lakh 10 thousand. Because I planted early, I started selling in November. At first I sold beans at Tk 120 a kg, and I am still selling at Tk 40 a kg. So far I have sold about Tk 3.5 lakh worth, and I will sell more than Tk 1 lakh more."

Farmers say Sitakunda beans are unrivalled in taste. Wholesalers buy them here and export the beans and the seeds separately to Europe, America and the Middle East, so farmers get good prices and the country earns foreign exchange.

Pipas Kanti Chowdhury, sub-assistant agriculture officer for the Teriail area, said: "This season, wherever you look you will see only beans. In many areas farmers do not even have to go to market; wholesalers come and take the beans, which cuts transport costs. Prices are also quite good, so they are happy."

Sitakunda upazila agriculture officer Md Habibulla said: "Beans have been grown on 2,500 hectares this time, and in all 70,000 tonnes have been produced, which is a record. These beans are going to Europe, America and the Middle East, and will earn at least Tk 210 crore. In the past, beans worth an average of Tk 150 crore were sold. The agriculture department has provided farmers with fertiliser, seed, advice and support."

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