Farmers in Dumuria upazila of Khulna district are expecting good profits from early winter beans cultivation this year. Photo : BSS

KHULNA, Sept 5, 2025 (BSS) - Farmers in Dumuria upazila of Khulna district are expecting good profits from early winter beans cultivation this year. Due to favourable weather, fertile soil and high market demand farmer of the Dumuria upazila are more encouraged to cultivate early winter beans.

During a recent visit to Tipna village in Kharnia union of Dumuria upazila, this correspondent found farmers busy nursing plants laden with freshly grown early winter beans.

Hundreds of farmers in the upazila have cultivated early bean varieties, especially around fish enclosures, and are already reaping benefits.

Md Habibur Rahman, 50, a farmer from Tipna village, said he planted the BARI variety of beans on his farming land this season.

"I usually start cultivating early winter beans at the end of Srabon or the beginning of Bhadra. This year, the weather has been favourable, and flowering was excellent," he said.

Rahman, who has been cultivating beans since 2007, follows guidelines from the local agriculture office to ensure better yields.
"I cultivated beans on five bighas of land around my two fish enclosures and am currently harvesting around 22 to 23 maunds of beans weekly," he said, adding that each maund is being sold for Tk 3,800 to Tk 4,200 in local markets.

"I spent Tk 20,000 per bigha for seeds, irrigation, labour and other costs. So far, I have sold beans worth Tk 3.46 lakh and expect to earn Tk 4 to 5 lakh more in the coming weeks," he added.

Inspired by Rahman's success, other farmers in the area, including Sheikh Jahangir Alam, Khalek Gazi, and Shanti Rani, have also taken up early bean cultivation.

They estimated that cultivation costs per bigha, including labour, ropes, pesticides, irrigation and fertilizers, range between Tk 20,000 and Tk 25,000. If weather conditions remain favourable, they expect to earn over Tk 1.5 lakh per bigha.

Sheikh Jahangir Alam, a farmer from the same village told BSS, he previously earned his living by pulling a rickshaw-van. He started bean cultivation four years ago, which significantly improved his economic condition.

"I leased three bighas of land and started cultivating early beans. I have already sold produce worth Tk 1.7 lakh and expect another Tk 1 lakh in the next two months," he said.

Sheikh Mahtab Hossain, a school teacher from Tipna village, cultivated the BARI-1 variety of beans on the embankment of a leased fish enclosure.

"With proper care, I expect to harvest 4 to 5 maunds of beans twice a week. Early beans fetch excellent market prices and have made me financially self-reliant," he said.

Vegetable vendor Awal Sheikh said he collects 40 to 50 maunds of beans daily from villages like Tipna, Gutudia, Bhulbaria and Baniakhali.

Farmer Shanti Rani, 45, has cultivated the Ifsa-2 variety on two bighas of land and expects a significant profit this season. "Bean cultivation is profitable, though it requires more care than other vegetables," she said.

Bablu Sheikh, another farmer from Tipna, echoed similar views, saying that bean farming is labour-intensive but rewarding.

Dumuria Upazila Agriculture Officer, Agriculturist Md Insad Ibne Amin, said around 2,400 hectares of land in the upazila have been used for vegetable farming this season, with 315 hectares under early bean cultivation.

"With higher vegetable prices, more farmers are turning to early-season crops," he added.

Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Khulna, Md Nazrul Islam told BSS, bean cultivation has turned into a revolution in the country.

"Farmers are now growing beans year-round. This traditional vegetable plays an important role in their livelihoods, with good returns from local and inter-district markets," he added.

According to DAE data, about 540 hectares of land in Khulna district have been brought under early winter bean cultivation this season.

Additional Director of Khulna Agriculture Zone, Md Rafiqul Islam told BSS, bean farming has made many farmers in Dumuria and other upazilas self-sufficient.

"For the last two decades, farmers have cultivated various winter vegetables. In recent years, beans have topped the list. The area under cultivation is increasing every year, helping farmers progress economically," he added.