Ishwardi litchi from Pabna is prized across the country for its quality and taste. Favourable weather this year has produced a record yield. Local varieties sold early in the season, and now the markets are buzzing with Bombai, Bedana and China varieties. Although prices are relatively low, growers and traders are satisfied with the good yield and brisk sales.

At the upazila's Joynagar and Aotapara markets, litchi worth several crores of taka is sold every day between 4am and 9am. The markets are thronged with buyers and sellers, and traders from different parts of the country are also buying directly from orchards.

According to the upazila agriculture office, litchi has been grown on about 3,100 hectares in Ishwardi this year, with a sales target of about Tk 700 crore. Growers and traders are profiting from the good yield brought by favourable weather.

For the past 10 days, Bombai litchi has been selling at Tk 1,200 to Tk 2,800 a thousand at Joynagar and Aotapara. Last year the best quality sold for Tk 4,500-5,000 a thousand; this year the same litchi fetches at most Tk 2,800. Although prices are lower, yields have doubled or tripled, so growers are happy to sell at these prices.

Growers say prices are a little lower because yields are higher than in other years. A tree that bore 3,000 litchis in other years has borne at least 10,000 this year. Once litchi starts ripening it must be picked and sold within 7 to 10 days or it rots, so selling quickly brings somewhat lower prices.

At Joynagar market, grower Amir Hossain told Jagonews24 that litchi sold for Tk 2,700-2,800 a thousand at dawn, falling to Tk 2,000 a thousand by about 8am, because supply is plentiful. "But we are happy even selling at low prices," he said. "Since Allah has given a plentiful yield, we are happy if everyone can eat it at a low price. The yield is much bigger than we expected."

Litchi grower Asadul Islam said market prices are very low because supply is high. His litchis are of good quality, but he has had to sell them for Tk 2,600 a thousand; in a good market they would fetch more than Tk 3,000 a thousand.

Orchard owner and former union parishad chairman Atiar Rahman, speaking at Joynagar market, said production is especially high in Ishwardi's Salimpur union this year. Bombai litchi went on sale before Eid, but trading stopped for two days during Eid because traders and buyers from Dhaka and other distant places were absent, which hurt growers. Supply has been very high for the past few days while buyers are fewer, so prices are somewhat depressed.

Ishwardi upazila agriculture officer Abdul Momin told Jagonews24 that the litchi yield is good this year and growers are profiting from sales.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.