Satkania representative: The bean kingdom of Satkania is called Purangar. This local variety of beans is valued in various districts of the country including Chittagong. A short distance north of Bazalia bus station on the Bandarban road, on the way to the east bank of the Sankh river, on the way to the Pitch road, small bean fields can be seen in the courtyards of houses.
Crossing the Nayahat Bazar and proceeding towards Shilgatha, you will see field after field of bean fields on both sides of the road. Crossing the Sualak canal bridge in Vaitarani village, pink and white flowers will catch anyone’s eye amidst the green mass of bean vines and leaves. And the farmers of the bean kingdom are weaving dreams in this bean bag. Many people here have been able to change their fortunes by cultivating beans with low capital.
Therefore, every year at the end of September, farmers make 12 to 16 inch high beds in the land and sow the seeds. A month later, the bean plant has already grown up and is full of flowers.
Farmers here are always benefited by cultivating local varieties of beans. So the farmers are very busy in tending to the beans. Farmers are now spending time tending to the bean fields from morning till evening. And after 3 weeks the beans of Purangar will be available in the market. That is what the farmers are hoping for.
Last Thursday morning, on the surface of Purangar Union, it was seen that the bean field was full of flowers. Village farmer Azad Hossain is applying pesticides in the field to prevent leaf rot. He said, I cultivated local varieties of beans on 1 acre of my own land. The total cost is 50 thousand rupees. Looking at the flowers in bunches, I am hoping for a bumper crop of beans like every year. If you get a fair price, beans will be sold for 1 lakh 20 thousand to 1.5 lakh taka.
Baitarani farmer Jalal Ahmad said, that hundreds of farmers in the village have benefited greatly from the cultivation of local varieties of beans. The cultivation of beans is increasing every year due to the enthusiasm of the farmers here.
Another farmer of Vaitarani, Mohammad Sohail said, that he cultivated beans on 40 acres of land on lease. 50 thousand rupees will be spent until the crop reaches the market including rent, fertilizer and pesticides. If the weather is favorable and the environment is good, beans will be sold for 1 lakh taka. He will earn 50 thousand taka.
According to Upazila Agriculture Office sources, 360 hectares of beans have been cultivated in Satkania. Out of this only 300 hectares of bean cultivation has been done in Puranagar Union.
Satkania Upazila Agriculture Officer Pratap Chandra Roy said that bean is a vegetable rich in protein. Its beetroot can also be eaten as a vegetable. So there is a huge demand for it in the country.
Most of the beans are cultivated here in the district. Beans are growing every year. Farmers are benefiting from bean cultivation. However, farmers use excessive fertilizers and pesticides on beans, which are very harmful to health. The agriculture office is advising the farmers at the field level to reduce the use of pesticides in the fields.
