In the wake of the Union government making it clear that it would not purchase boiled rice through Food Corporation o India (FCI) in the summer season and authorities making it clear that the paddy produced in Telangana will have more broken rice after milling due to high temperatures, the farmers are in dilemma to which crop they have to shift. The suggestion from agriculture experts is to go for irrigated and dry (ID) crops.
One of those ID crops that is being encouraged by the agriculture extension officers at field level is French bean, most suitable crop for rabi season. As people became more conscious of health and are preparing to consume more protein-enriched food, this ‘vegetarian’s meat’ can meet the demand.
Cultivating French bean was experimented successfully at Narayanpet mandal of Siddipet district and the results were encouraging.
Majority of area in Narayanapet cluster is covered with red soil and light soils which are more suitable for French bean cultivation and it can be cultivated for dual purpose - it can be consumed as a vegetable and grain as a pulse - so called rajma. For rabi season it is sown in the months of October to November. This can be cultivated as summer crop in January after pongal and February. Duration of the crop is 100 to 120 days. Between 55 and 65 days after sowing, green bean will be ready for first picking as a vegetable. Maximum of three pickings can be taken and average yield will be between 20 quintals to 25 quintals per acre. The price is ranging between ₹ 4,000 and ₹ 5,000 per quintal.
French bean as grain, the average yield will be between eight to nine quintals per acre. Last year the price in the market of grain (rajma) was ₹ 7,000 to ₹ 8,000 per quintal and the expectation is that the returns will be around ₹ 70,000 per acre.
“In Narayanapet cluster, 20 farmers have cultivated French bean for both vegetable purpose and grain (rajma) in 25 acres. Farmer Kongari Narayana had sown the crop on October 20 and he got first picking in 55 to 65 days After sowing. Mr. Narayana already sold 10 quintals of green bean between ₹ 40 and ₹ 50 per kilogram and got return a return of ₹ 50,000 rupees. If the demand in market falls down, the rest of crop can be retained for grains rajma. Another farmer Suthari Srinivas got a return of ₹ 1 lakh per acre. Some other farmers who had sown the crop late are waiting to harvest,” Narayanpet Agriculture Extension Officer (AEO) T. Nagarjuna told The Hindu .
