Flash flood dashes hopes of kidney bean farmers
Half of the pulse cultivated on around 60,000 hectares totally damaged in Patuakhali
Sudden flood due to heavy downpour for three days about three weeks ago totally damaged nearly half of the kidney bean plants cultivated in six upazilas of Patuakhali district.Photo: STAR
Flooding due to untimely downpour from April 9 to 11 destroyed kidney bean plants on around 44 per cent of the cultivated lands in the district, much to the frustration of farmers. In the district, 58,253 hectares of land was brought under kidney bean cultivation with a target to produce 43,690 tonnes this year, said sources of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Patuakhali. But kidney beans on 25,660 hectares of land have been totally damaged due to flooding by the rain and so, the production is not likely to exceed about 25,000 tonnes, sources added. In the district, Galachipa upazila sees the highest damage of kidney bean fields on 12,400 hectares of land, followed by 10,500 hectares in Baufal upazila. Besides, the flooding damaged kidney bean plants on 2,760 hectares of land in five other upazilas under the district. Of the land cultivated with kidney beans, 6,840 hectares of land is in Patuakhali Sadar upazila, 15,000 hectares in Baufal, 22,000 hectares in Galachipa, 7,700 hectares in Dashmina, 2,013 hectares in Kalapara, 2,200 hectares in Mirzaganj and 2,500 hectares in Dumki upazila, sources of DAE said. The district sees large scale cultivation of kidney bean as the nutritious pulse brings much profit to the farmers, said AZM Momtazul Karim, deputy director of DAE in Patuakhali. Kidney bean farming, which requires very little care, is less expense and more profitable than other pulses, said Abdul Awal, deputy assistant agriculture officer of DAE. But the untimely rain has frustrated the farmers this season. "I cultivated kidney bean on my three acres of land this year at a cost of Tk 14,000 but all the plants have rotten due to flooding by rain water," Abdul Khaleq Matobbar, 52, of Dashpara village under Baufal upazila, said. "I planned to send money, after selling kidney bean, to my son who is a final year student of diploma engineering course in Patuakhali. Now I am thinking of selling my cow to manage the money," he said. "After meeting my family demand last year, I earned Tk 25,000 by selling kidney bean that sold for Tk 2,400 to 2,800 per maund," Khaleq added. Abdur Rahman Howlader, 60, of Khajurbaria village in the same upazila, who earned Tk 20,000 by selling the kidney bean last year, said, "Plants of kidney bean grew well this year due to favourable weather and I hoped to earn more by selling it this year but untimely rain has dashed all my hopes."
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