Clusters of litchis hang on the trees and, now ripe, are being picked. From dawn, one engine boat after another loaded with litchis docks at Samata Ghat in Rangamati town. Growers are bringing litchis from orchards in remote parts of the district.

The juicy hill litchis have started reaching the market, and the yield is good this year. Litchis arrive at the ghat and the market every day, with prices set by size and colour.

Because they are pesticide-free, Rangamati litchis are in demand in districts across the country. According to the agriculture office, a target of 17,498 tonnes of litchis from 1,882 hectares of orchards has been set in the district this year.

At the market, litchis are unloaded at the ghat once farmers and traders have finished bargaining. Workers pack them into baskets or cartons on the spot, and traders going short distances take the summer fruit away by auto-rickshaw. Growers said 100 litchis are selling for Tk 300–800, and they are happy with the good prices.

Litchi grower Shukor Chakma said: "The price depends on the size and colour of the litchis. I brought about Tk 1 lakh worth of litchis and have sold around Tk 90,000 worth so far. There are more in the orchard. I hope to sell Tk 7–8 lakh worth of litchis this year."

Another grower, Dhanpati Chakma, said: "The cost of looking after an orchard has gone up a lot. If the government gave us loans, we could care for our orchards better and the yield would be even better."

Seasonal fruit trader Rahmat Ullah told Jago News: "Because Rangamati litchis are pesticide-free, there is demand for them in Chattogram, Dhaka and other places. Today I bought Tk 3.5 lakh worth of litchis. I will take them to Chattogram."

Tapan Kumar Pal, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Rangamati, said they are working to encourage farmers to grow improved and local varieties of litchi.

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