The litchi growers are happy now following a bumper production with lucrative prices of the delicious, juicy and fleshy seasonal fruit that has already appeared everywhere in the northern region. Though the ripe local and some high yielding Bombay and Madrazi varieties litchi have already flooded local markets with prices beyond reach of commoners, harvest of high quality hybrid Bedana and China-3 litchi will start soon, official sources said.
At this initial stage of harvest, every 100 pieces of local variety small-sized litchi are being sold at rates between Taka 160 and 200 and high yielding varieties at rates between Taka 300 and 350, market sources told the national news agency.
Meanwhile, huge economic activities involving harvesting and marketing of litchi everywhere in Rangpur, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari and other northern districts have started.
According to Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources, 95 percent of nearly 71 million litchi trees in over 8,800 small, medium and big-sized litchi orchards and homesteads had massive blooming this season.
Horticulture Specialist of DAE Khondker M Mesbahul Islam said litchi cultivation has become popular as hundreds of farmers have achieved their self-reliance through farming the fruit on a commercial basis in recent years.
He said the farmers have been cultivating high yielding varieties China-3 and Bedana and early varieties Bombay and Madrazi litchi on more lands every year following repeated bumper productions with lucrative prices.
Big litchi grower Atiar Rahman of village Damodarpur in Rangpur said he is expecting a super bumper production form his all 204 China-3 and Madrazi variety litchi trees on 1.56 acres orchard this year.
Deputy Director of the DAE Feroz Ahmed said commercial basis litchi farming has been expanding faster bringing fortunes to hundreds for repeated bumper production and excellent market price in the region.
Litchi growers Nabir Uddin, Kayes Ahmed, Tozammel Haque, Mokbul Hossain and Mozaffar Ali said they have been earning excellent profits every year through farming litchi in their orchard in recent years.
“We are expecting to sell every 100 pieces of the high quality Bedana variety litchi at Taka 800 to 1,000 and China-3 variety at Taka 600 to 800 or even at higher rates when their harvest begins very soon,” they said.
Most of the litchi orchards have already been sold to the traders and their appointed people have been looking after those and have become busy now for marketing litchi that will continue till end of harvest in June.
Presently, hundreds of litchi traders have gathered in Sadar, Kaharol, Biral, Birampur, Fulbari, Chirirbandar and Birganj upazilas in Dinajpur and Badarganj, Pirganj, Sadar, Mithapukur upazilas of Rangpur, Pirganj upazila of Thakurgaon and other districts.
Additional Director of DAE Sikander Ali said litchi farming has already brought a silent economic revolution as hundreds of farmers achieved self-reliance through cultivating the fruit in recent years in the region.
(BSS, Rangpur)
