Summer bean yield brings smile to Sylhet farmers

SYLHET, Sept 02: A number of farmers have achieved massive success in cultivating bean in the summertime in different places of the division.
Although bean is known as a winter vegetable, two varieties of the vegetable released by Sylhet Agriculture University (SAU) have showed huge success in its farming during summer, said Professor Md Shahidul Islam of SAU horticulture department.
He also said they are getting sufficient return by producing the cash crop during off-season.
The field research was started in 2007 and it was certified and released by the agriculture ministry in 2015, he told the FE.
The producers are now selling it at Tk 100 to 140 per kg to wholesale traders while retailers get Tk 200 to 350 on local markets.
The SAU bean-1 and SAU bean-2 having protein and good content of nutrients are now being cultivated in Moulvibazar and Srimangal upazila of Moulvibazar and Chunarughat, Habiganj, Bahubal and Nabiganj upazila in Habiganj, Sylhet Sadar and Sunamganj districts as well as in some other areas of the country.
Some selected farmers are just pioneer in this regard, he added, since the start of field research yet we are in their touch for advising regularly on various climate conditions and calamity.
However, Bari bean-7 and Ipsa bean-2 are cultivated to some extent in summer in other areas.
An official at the DAE said the SAU after vast research on the field released the two varieties in 2015 for farmers in Sylhet and other regions.
Measures were then taken for spreading it through the DAE, as the farmers can easily benefit by cultivating the cash crop.
The seed is to be sown at the end of Chaitra and Baishakh (March-April) on the suitable soil condition. Harvest starts in 20 days after flowering in June-July as a farmer can harvest for four months. However, yield would be lesser in the ending season.
Showing a luxuriant bean yield on 55 decimal of land, farmer Ahsan Habib of Dengarbon village in Srimangal upazila in Moulvibazar said, "I have cultivated the SAU varieties of bean this season. So far, 700 kg had been sold to the wholesale buyers at Kamalganj and Srimangal upazila town."
"Hopefully there would be another 400 kg this season. I earned Tk 7 lakh from bean on 80 decimal of land last year, whereas it is 55 decimal this year."
"I earned Tk 50,000 last year only by selling bean seed. I save seeds from original stock for next season. I keep close contact with the local DAE officials and Professor Shahidul at the university in any trouble like pest attack, flood and others. Things were much troubled amid severe and repeated flooding this year," he added.
45-year Ahsan also cultivated long bean, aroids, Jhinga etc on his farmland like previous years. Almost same was the experience of farmers like Mehraj Mia and Fazar Ali of Paniumda in Nabiganj upazila. Kuwait expatriate Mehraj is an advanced farmer in the area as a good number of new farmers had already in his touch for SAU bean seeds and intensive cultivation for the high value vegetable for years.
"At the beginning I collected seeds from the SAU, he told this correspondent yesterday, yet I get advice from the varsity. Alongside farming, he earns good returns from selling SAU bean seeds to farmers."

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