THIS year, black gram plantation acres expanded, along with an increase in black gram farmers.

Farmers grew other beans in addition to black gram in pre­vious years, but black gram is the main crop this year.

Farmers in the whole west­ern Bago Region mainly grew black gram this year.

“Black gram plantation acre expanded this year. Farm­ers grew other beans such as mung bean, lablab bean, soy­bean and eyebrow peas last year. Now, they paused them but only in black gram. Farm­ers in the whole western Bago Region grew black gram alone this year,” said an official from Naing Maha black gram whole­sale trading centre in Letpadan Township.

Abnormal weather condi­tions encouraged farmers to re-start black gram plantation, he said.

“Black gram price declined in Yangon, on a downward trend for a week. Now, it is growing black gram, and it is expected to harvest three months later,” he said. — Thit Taw/ZS