Litchi growers eye bumper yield

With litchi season creeping ever closer, farmers in Dinajpur are spending busy days caring for their orchards in order to ensure maximum output of the mouth-watering tropical fruit, weather permitting.

However, the litchi trees started blooming a little later than usual this year as they entered the flowering stage in early March instead of late February, according to the Department of Agricultural Extension's officials in Dinajpur.

If all goes well, the bite-sized fruit usually remains in the market for about a month after arriving in early June each year.

Litchis are grown all over Bangladesh but the favourable climate and soil conditions in some northern districts, such as Dinajpur, are much more conducive.

As such, various types of the fruit, including Madrazi, Bombay, China 1, 2 and 3, Kathali and Bedana, are grown in the region.

The DAE data shows that litchis are being grown on 9,197 hectares of land across eight districts in Rangpur and Dinajpur this year.

Dinajpur is leading the cultivation though with 7,226 hectares of land while Rangpur accounts for the rest.

The DAE officials say that there are some 4,000 large and small-scale commercial litchi orchards spread across the eight districts.

With an average of about 5.16 tonnes of the fruit being produced on each hectare, the region's total production target is around 47,500 tonnes this year.

When it comes to just Dinajpur, which is the largest litchi growing district in the country, the DAE has set the production target at about 33,484 tonnes.

There are at least 3,000 large and small scale commercial orchards spread across 13 upazilas in the district, where cultivation has expanded by 10 per cent each year.

"We expect a healthy yield this year if everything goes right," said Ashraful Islam of Chiribandar upazila in Dinajpur.

Many farmers told The Daily Star that only 70 per cent of the litchi trees in Dinajpur had flowered last year, affecting production levels in the process.

This year though, approximately 90 per cent of the plants are blooming, which has raised hopes for farmers.

During a visit to several orchards in different upazilas of Dinajpur, this correspondent found that hired labourers were busy caring for litchi plants to prevent any pest attacks or dropping out of buds.

"We take care of the tree year-round but they need special care as soon as they start flowering. The budding period after flowering is most important," said Bulbul Ahmed, a litchi grower of Madhabati village under Biral upazila of Dinajpur.

He went on to say that production costs would be higher this year due to the soaring cost of inputs, including fertiliser, farm hands and diesel.

"The production cost will increase 30 per cent this year," he said.

In addition to rising production costs, fluctuating weather conditions have also become a threat for litchi growers like Ziaur Rahman of Mashimpur village under Dinajpur sadar upazila.

About 45 of Rahman's litchi trees failed to bud properly due to ups and downs in temperature and besides, early morning fog is a big enemy of litchi cultivation.

"Its bad luck for me but I am trying to save the other trees," he said, adding that a similar situation was prevailing in other orchards in the area.

Prodip Kumar Guha, additional director of the DAE in Dinajpur, said all crops were weather sensitive and litchis were no exception.

"Production can be affected in some places due to the fluctuating climate and prevailing fog in the early morning. But overall, we expect a good yield this year," Guha said.

Litchis play a significant role in the district's rural economy. Last year, about Tk 400 crore worth of the fruit was traded in the region, he added.