Photo : Messenger
In Thakurgaon, litchi has been cultivated on 281 hectares of land. District Agriculture Department expect production of 1 thousand 700 metric tons of litchi whose market value is about Tk 38 crores and 40 lakhs.
The litchi farmers of Thakurgaon are worried about the yield as the weather is not favorable. A litchi orchard of Gobindnagar in Thakurgaon was seen to have good yield in two trees but much yield in most of the trees. The litchi farmers may suffer losses due to this.
China 3, Bedana, Bombay and Madrasi varieties of litchi are mostly grown in the district. The litchies have started ripen and it will be available in the market in a week. But the farmers are still worried because the yield is not as expected. If the market price is not good, they will have to count the big loss.
Fazlu, litchi farmer of Gobindnagar, said, “I have bought 7 litchi gardens in some parts of the upazila. A continuous month of intense heat started since the arrival of snoots. As the temperature is high, the litchi turns yellow and red a week before ripening, the top layer of the litchi turns black and starts to burst. This time the size is also smaller.
He also said that the profit will be much less compared to the target.
A few wholesale litchi traders were seen in the gardens of some unions in Thakurgaon Sadar Upazila. They have come to buy litchi from different areas including Dhaka, Sylhet, and Cumilla. They buy litchi directly from the garden and send that to their respective areas. They also acknowledged the crop failure due to heat wave. Some mentioned that the reason behind the low production is the high price of litchi in the market.
Yasin Ali of Milanpur village of Goreya Union said that temperature above 35 degrees Celsius disrupts the production of litchi. This summer the temperature was above 37 to 38 degrees. A severe heat wave swept over the district for a few days. A lot of lychees have fallen out of it. Those that were on the tree, have dried up and lost color.
Thakurgaon has recorded temperatures above 36 degrees Celsius in the district since last April till mid-May consecutively. Since then the temperature has been between 36 and 38 degrees. Basically after the first week of May the temperature starts to decrease.
Sirajul Islam, Deputy Director of District Agriculture Extension Department, said that although there is an adverse effect on the yield of litchi due to natural causes, the farmers have nothing to worry about as the price is good in the market. And if there is no natural calamity, none of the gardeners or traders will suffer losses in litchi.
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