ISHWARDI, Pabna — Wholesale beans are selling for 40 taka a kilogram and retail at 60 taka, leaving ordinary consumers struggling even during the harvest season. But farmers in Ishwardi say the high prices may not save them from losses this year.
According to the Ishwardi upazila Department of Agricultural Extension, bean cultivation in the upazila is targeted at 1,290 hectares this season. Of that, 910 hectares have already been planted with early-season beans, and the remaining 380 hectares will be planted with winter beans. Agriculture office data show farmers in the area earned a profit of about 3 million taka from early-variety beans this year.
A tour of the main bean-growing areas in the upazila showed farmers and farm hands working over largely empty trellises stripped of beans and flowers. Growers said the work requires routine vine training, clearing of dried flowers and regular spraying with fungicides, vitamins and anti-rot agents. But yields are lower this year relative to costs compared with previous years, raising fears of losses, they said.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report