With favourable conditions and weather this year, Rajbari has had a bumper litchi harvest. Farmers growing litchi commercially are making good profits. Because the litchis are pest-free, sweet and juicy, growers are happy to sell them wholesale from the orchards without any extra hassle.

Growers claim Rajbari's litchis are juicier and tastier than those of Dinajpur, Ishwardi and other regions, so they are in good demand. Wholesalers buy them straight from the orchards and sell them at retail in markets around the district. This year the profit on litchi is about five to six times the cost, which no other crop gives, growers say, and more people are taking up litchi farming as it proves profitable.

The red and yellow fruit hangs from the thin branches of every tree in Rajbari's orchards. Owners have begun picking ripe litchis, processing and selling them, and many wholesalers are buying from the orchards and processing the fruit themselves.

According to the district Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), litchi has been grown on about 90 hectares in the district this year, with total production estimated at about 260 tonnes. Varieties grown in Rajbari include Mumbai, China Three, Mozaffar, Kanthali, Kadmi and Bedana.

Litchi grower Sohag Hossain said: "I started with six trees and now have 100 litchi trees. This year I spent about Tk 1 lakh. The yield has been very good, and I will be able to sell litchis worth about Tk 7 to 8 lakh. I am selling wholesale from the orchard at up to Tk 3,300 per 1,000 litchis. The orchard has Mumbai, Mozaffar, China Three, Kanthali and Kadmi. Mumbai litchi is the most profitable."

Another grower, Mannan Huda, said: "I have been growing mixed fruit orchards, including litchi, for about 25 to 30 years. This year I have a litchi orchard on one acre, with about 400 trees. Looking after it cost about Tk 4 lakh, and it will sell about Tk 11 lakh worth of litchis this time. Because the litchis are free of pesticide and pests, traders come and buy them straight from the orchard. Seeing my orchard, many people are getting interested in litchi farming."

Litchi traders Shariful Islam and Saiful Islam said: "We collect litchis directly from the orchards of Mannan Huda and several others in the Afra area of Chandani, sort them by hand and take them to market. These litchis are big and juicy. We no longer have to go to other districts; tasty, juicy litchis are available in Rajbari itself, and buyers want them. We buy wholesale from the orchards at Tk 2,600 to 3,300 per 1,000 litchis and sell at a small profit."

Chandani sub-assistant agriculture officer Narayan Mondal said: "The soil in Chandani and the surrounding areas is suitable for litchi. The yield is good this year and litchis from this area are in good demand in the market, so we are working to encourage farmers to grow litchi."

Rajbari Sadar upazila agriculture officer Md Jony Khan said: "There are 163 litchi orchards, large and small, in Sadar upazila, growing China Three, Bedana, Mozaffar and other varieties. The good weather this year has brought a good yield, and with demand in the market, farmers are getting good prices. The number of litchi growers and orchards in Rajbari will grow in future."

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