Early in the season, markets across Sherpur are flooded with unripe, tasteless lychees. Hoping for bigger profits, orchard owners and traders are picking raw, sour lychees from the trees and selling them. Doctors say that eating these lychees can cause vomiting and stomach pain in children, as well as severe hypoglycaemia and seizures.

A visit found raw and half-ripe lychees everywhere at Thanar Mor, Nayani Bazar, Khoyarpar and the bus stand in Sherpur town, and at markets in Nakla, Nalitabari, Jhenaigati and Sreebardi upazilas. Local Mozaffar variety lychees are selling at Tk 250 to Tk 300 per 100.

A lychee seller at Khoyarpar Mor said Bombai and China-3 lychees will take another 10 to 12 days to reach the market, so rather than sit idle he has been selling this early Mozaffar variety for a week.

Many buyers are angry at not getting the real taste of lychee. Tabassum Monira, a private school student buying lychees at Thanar Mor, said that although they tasted slightly sour, she and her friends bought them at Tk 2.50 to Tk 3 each to eat together.

Orchard owner Ujjal Mia admitted that some owners are selling unripe lychees in the hope of bigger profits and quick cash. Buyers are being denied the real taste of the fruit and the health risk is rising, he said. Ripe, juicy lychees will reach the market in another eight to ten days.

Asaduzzaman Asad, a doctor at Sreebardi Upazila Health Complex, said eating these raw lychees on an empty stomach interferes with the body's process of making glucose, which can lead to severe hypoglycaemia. Children in particular face risks such as vomiting, stomach pain and even seizures.

District safe food officer Md Shakiluzzaman told Jagonews: "Most of the lychees reaching the market are unripe. We urge customers not to buy them. Sellers have also been instructed to bring mature lychees to market after at least another week. We are monitoring the markets regularly; if any lychees are found mixed with harmful chemicals, strict legal action will be taken against the seller."

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