What Are the Challenges in Producing Mung Beans?
- Unpredictable rainfall
Most farmers/producers stated that those commodities’ productivity highly depends on the amount and distribution of rainfall. Indeed, the amount of rain required to produce mung beans is lower than the minimum precipitation requirement for other crops. However, rainfall amounts and distribution are irregular and sometimes unfavorable for mung bean production.
- Prevalence of pests and diseases
Another critical challenge of mung bean production is related to pests and diseases. Hence, such crop pests and diseases would affect the productivity and quality of mung beans. This problem can be severe when the availability of pesticides is limited.
- Lack of input supply and development
The production of crops is highly contingent on improved inputs like seed, fertilizer, etc. However, agricultural research institutes made minimal efforts to enhance commodity varieties, particularly mung beans.
- Lack of proper storage and handling
It is essential to focus on improving post-harvest activities such as collecting, storage, and handling to improve mung beans’ quality. This, in turn, helps farmers have substantial bargaining power in the market and better market returns.
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