Smilyan is harvesting a good harvest of beans this year, but production remains limited by heavy manual labor and the few people who continue to deal with it. On the final day of the 24th Smilyan bean festival, producer Magdalena Lovchalieva says that her entire quantity has already been agreed upon for purchase.
“I sow about 5 thousand kolas. We have produced about 200 kilograms this year“, Lovchalieva tells bTV Novinite. According to her, the weather was favorable, without prolonged high temperatures, and rainfall and additional watering helped the good result.
The producer sells her beans to regular customers, as well as during the holiday in Smilyan. She grows large beans, which are used for salads and cooking, and a smaller variety for soup and stew. According to her, salad beans are in greater demand and therefore occupy a larger part of the production.
Price up to 14 euros per kilogram
The price of Smilyan beans reaches 12-14 euros per kilogram. However, its cultivation does not attract enough young people, since almost all activities are carried out by hand.
„Everything is by hand. One month I only pick by hand. Everything is picked by hand, peeled by hand“, says Lovchalieva.
The mayor of the village of Smilyan Chavdar Chervenkov defends the price with the labor that is behind each kilogram. “Anyone who doubts the price should come to me in the spring to work a little in the fields“, he commented.
Smilyan beans are grown in several settlements around the Gorna Arda River. Local producers work on small areas - most often between one and two decares, which limits the total quantities on the market.
The heat reduces the yield in low-lying areas
The crop is grown at an altitude of between 500 and 950 meters. Adriana Kehayova from the community center in Smilyan points out that at temperatures between 28 and 30 degrees, the flowers of the beans fall off and the pods fail to form. Therefore, the harvest in the lower regions is more modest.
Smilyan beans are sought after for their specific taste and faster cooking. Chavdar Chervenkov explains that the soft skin is one of its distinctive characteristics. He also warns of cases in which products sold as Smilyan beans turn out to have different qualities.
A large panel made of beans continues to be kept in the Smilyan Bean Museum. Work on it began in 2006 and will end in 2021. 23,045 people participated in its creation, with each bean glued by a different person. The idea is for the panel to apply for Guinness World Records due to the unique number of participants.
Sources: btvnovinite.bg