Gobinda Nagar village in Thakurgaon municipality is known to everyone as the "litchi village". Traders come from different districts to buy litchis here. More than a crore taka worth of litchis is sold every year, and the fruit is sent to different parts of the country.

Last year litchi traders suffered losses from several rounds of hailstorms. This year the intense heatwave has scorched the litchis. Even so, orchard owners are hoping for a crore-taka litchi business.

On the ground, a festival of litchi harvesting is under way in the village. Many workers have found jobs, especially young people and women. From dawn to afternoon, no one seems to have a moment to breathe.

Orchard owner Abdul Rahman said: "We have had a bumper litchi crop. If the litchis had no spots on their skin, we could have sold several crore taka worth. Still, we hope to sell a crore taka worth. The price of litchis is a little higher this time."

Orchard owner Motiur Rahman said: "Bombai, China Three, Bedana and other varieties are still on the trees. If they escape storms, litchis will be a big win this year. We have lost a little because the Golapi litchis have spots on their skin, but the rest of the crop will make up for it."

Wholesale trader Azizul Islam said: "Because Golapi litchis have spots this time, the price is a little higher. We are paying Tk 3,000 for 1,000 litchis. I hope the litchi business will be a success this year."

Worker Riju Ahammed said: "Every year I can save some money from this work, which helps with household costs and education. The litchi yield is much higher this time, so wages are higher too."

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Thakurgaon, the district has 256 litchi orchards on 705 hectares. These orchards produced 5,598 metric tonnes of litchis last year. Litchis are also grown in the yards and homesteads of many houses in the area.

Sirajul Islam, deputy director of DAE in Thakurgaon, said: "From the start there was intense heat by day and cold at night, which damaged the litchis. Some of the young fruit dropped because there was no normal rain. Then came a continuous heatwave, and litchis on the trees cracked and spoiled before ripening. But the amount of fruit that has survived on the trees means farmers will not lose much. Litchis worth nearly a crore taka could be sold from Gobinda Nagar, the litchi village."

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