Cultivation of mung bean sees gradual increase in the coastal district as it brings good profit.

A total 72,310 hectares of land has been brought under mug bean cultivation in Patuakhali district this year while it was about 62,000 hectares last year.

Of the land, 20,500 hectares is in Baufal upazila, 13,740 hectares in Patuakhali Sadar, 12,000 hectares in Dashmina, 10,800 hectares in Rangabali, 8,500 hectares in Galachipa, 3,000 hectares in Mirzaganj, 2,250 hectares in Dumki and 1,520 hectares in Kalapara upazila, said a source of the Department of Agriculture Extension in Patuakhali.

"I cultivated mung bean on two hectares of land this year. The weather is favourable and I hope to get 25 to 30 maunds (a maund = 40 kg) of yield this year. The crop sells for good prices," said Abdul Mannan, a farmer of Aliapur village in Patuakhali Sadar upazila.

Abu Jafar Sarder of the same village said he cultivated mung bean on five hectares of land and already harvested 35 maunds from half of the land.

Now the harvesting of mung bean is going on in full swing.

This correspondent saw many farmers and workers engaged in collecting mung bean at fields of Badorpur village in Patuakhali Sadar.

"I can collect 10 to 14 kg of mung bean daily and I get one-seventh of the collected crop as wage," said Helena Begum, a farm labourer.  

Local farmers are very interested to cultivate mung bean in the dry season as it is more profitable than other crops in the area, said Abdus Salam, sub-assistant agriculture officer in Patuakhali Sadar upazila.

Farmers got 900 kg to 1,200 kg of mung bean per hectare of land by cultivating high yielding varieties, he said, adding that per kg mung bean is selling at Tk 90 to 100.

Abdul Malek, a wholesaler who was buying mung bean at Hetalia Badghat Bazar from farmers, said he buys mung bean at Tk 3,600 to 4,000 per maund and sends it to different districts including Dhaka, Rajshahi, and Khulna.