Sudden rain after a prolonged heatwave is ruining litchis on the trees. The fruit is turning dark and splitting open on the branches. Far from making a profit, growers fear they will not even recover the cost of looking after their orchards.

The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) says nothing can be done about it, but losses can be reduced somewhat if mature litchis are marketed quickly.

According to sources, litchi trade in the region was worth Tk 35 crore last year. This year litchi has been grown on 530 hectares in Rajshahi, with a production target of 30,800 tonnes. Besides local types, several varieties including Bombay, Purbi, Mozaffarabad, China and Bedana were waiting to come to market. But Cyclone Remal has shattered the growers' dreams.

Entaz Ali, a litchi grower in Paba upazila of the district, said the trees flowered well this year, but the long heatwave and rain are spoiling the litchis on the trees. Some are splitting, so ripe litchis are now turning into perishable waste.

Orchard owner Md Hira said: "Seeing the yield, I dreamed of a profit at first, but now I will not even recover the cost of looking after the orchard. The litchis are finished on the trees. I will not get back what I spent. In this state I will get no price for them; people will not want them."

Mst Sabina Begum, additional deputy director of the DAE in Rajshahi, said nothing can be done about a natural disaster. But mature litchis must be marketed quickly, and that will make up for some of the loss, she said.

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