At the beginning of the season, each kg of bean was sold at Tk 80 but in the middle of the winter, the price fell to Tk 10.

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Bean cultivation has been gaining popularity in the upazila after a large number of farmers got involved considering good profit with relatively low investment.

In different parts of the upazila including Baratia, Gobindakati, Thakundia, Malatia, Shovna, Kharnia, Shahapur, Arongghata, Araji Dumuria, Jhilerdanga areas, farmers cultivated bean in the fields, house yards and the isles of fish enclosures.

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The bumper production initially made them happy with prospects of handsome profit but a price fall in the local market wiped the smiles off their faces.

Proshanto Mallik of Baratia village in the upazila took two bighas of land on lease and bought the total land under cauliflower and bean cultivation.

“I hardly managed to get back my product cost due to other expenses including transportation and wages of day labourers,” he said.

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Some 500 farmers in the area have been hit hard by the low price, he said.

The situation is forcing some farmers to sell beans on credit.

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Lalit Das, another farmer of the village, said he brought 10 kathas of land under bean cultivation and the production is higher than it was in 2018 and 2019.

“I took Tk 1 lakh loan on 5 percent interest. I’m devastated because of the falling price of the bean as in some cases, each kg bean is being sold at as low as Tk 8,” he said.

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