The intense heatwave has brought a new crisis to Rajshahi's litchi orchards: in the excessive heat, litchis are cracking on the trees, leaving farmers at a loss.

Farmers say high daytime temperatures and a lack of soil moisture are hampering the normal growth of the fruit. As a result, green and half-ripe litchis are cracking and spoiling on the trees, and a large share of the fruit is being damaged before it reaches the market.

According to the Rajshahi weather office, the maximum temperature in Rajshahi on 15 April was 39.2 degrees Celsius with humidity of only 18 percent. On 16 April the temperature fell slightly to 34.2 degrees but humidity rose to 70 percent. On 17 April the temperature climbed again to 36.8 degrees, with humidity at 46 percent. On the morning of 18 April humidity suddenly rose to 98 percent, with a maximum temperature of 36.3 degrees. On 19 April the maximum was 34.5 degrees and humidity 77 percent. No rain fell over these days.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Rajshahi, litchi was grown on 528 hectares of orchards in the district last year, with a target of 3,768 tonnes. Within a year the area has fallen by two hectares, to 526 hectares this season. Even so, the production target has been set at 3,775 tonnes, pointing to higher output.

People involved in agriculture say that sudden changes in temperature and humidity this year make the litchi skin expand and contract quickly, increasing the tendency of the fruit to crack.

Abdul Malek, a litchi farmer in Paba upazila of Rajshahi, said: "A few days ago it was extremely hot. Now humidity has risen again. That is why the litchis on the trees are cracking. We are very worried."

Shafiqul Islam, another farmer in Godagari, said there is no rain but humidity is high, and after the heat the litchis cannot withstand such sudden weather. If the unstable weather continues, Rajshahi's litchi production will suffer major losses, he said.

Mohammad Nasir Uddin, deputy director of the DAE in Rajshahi district, said that to prevent cracking, farmers must give light irrigation regularly, keep the soil moist and pay extra attention to tree care. "That is the advice we are giving farmers. We hope that if they do this, the litchis will be saved from cracking. So far, however, mangoes and litchis in Rajshahi are in quite a good position," he said.

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