After heavy losses from lychee farming last year, Meherpur's orchard owners, farmers and fruit traders are breathing a sigh of relief. With favourable weather, plenty of blossom and comparatively little disease, they expect a bumper harvest. Early-variety 'aanti' lychees have begun to ripen in various orchards and sales started this week. With strong demand for Meherpur lychees in different regions, orchard owners and traders are in high spirits.

Colourful lychee orchards can now be seen across the district, with ripe and half-ripe fruit hanging in clusters. There is a festive atmosphere in every orchard. Picking starts at dawn: workers climb high branches to cut the clusters and drop them, while others below collect and sort them. The lychees are then neatly packed into plastic crates and sent to different parts of the country.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), lychee has been grown on about 730 hectares in Meherpur this season, and the orchards are expected to produce about 6,800 tonnes. Those involved say that if the weather stays favourable, lychee will play an important role in the district's economy this year.

Orchard owners say the yield is much better than last year, with trees heavily laden thanks to favourable weather. Satisfactory market prices have also largely eased fears of losses.

Orchard owner Zaker Ali said: "Last year we suffered heavy losses because of the weather, and many trees did not give the expected yield. But this year the trees have borne plenty of fruit, and yields may be almost double last year's. Prices are good too. I hope to make a good profit this time."

Fruit traders are happy too. They say the taste, sweetness and quality of Meherpur's aanti lychee have earned it a distinct reputation around the country, so demand is strong.

Fruit trader Abdul Kuddus said: "Meherpur's aanti lychee tastes very good. Traders are coming from different districts to buy. Every day lychees are being sent to Dhaka, Cumilla, Barishal, Bogura and other places."

Lychee trader Ahsanul Haque said: "Meherpur's lychee has a special reputation. Traders from different districts contact us every day, and demand in the market is very good."

Because of repeated losses on field crops, many farmers are now turning to fruit orchards. Interest is growing in improved and grafted lychee varieties alongside aanti lychee, and many are planting new orchards because of the prospect of higher profits from less land.

Lychee grower Azizul Haque said: "Paddy and other crops are not as profitable as before, so I am now planting a lychee orchard. With proper care, it is possible to earn well. This year, lychees worth Tk 1 lakh to Tk 1.5 lakh are being sold from 1 bigha of land after spending Tk 30,000-40,000."

To ensure safe fruit for consumers, the agriculture department is giving regular advice, stressing safe cultivation without harmful chemicals, and making farmers aware of timely irrigation, disease control and proper management.

DAE deputy director Sanjib Mridha said: "We are advising farmers regularly so that they care for their lychees in safe ways. We are making them aware of timely irrigation, disease control and avoiding harmful chemicals. This way consumers will get safe fruit and farmers will also profit."

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