Prospects bleak for litchi production in Ishwardi

A massive crop debacle is anticipated as bad weather condition has damaged young litchis extensively in the orchards of Ishwardi upazila of Pabna district this season.

Known as the capital of litchi, Ishwardi accounts for a majority of the country's production of the juicy summer fruit.

Litchi farmers here are worried as the adverse climatic condition is dampening their hope for a desired yield of the fruit this season.

They fear a harvest disaster as buds are shedding off a majority of the plants in almost all litchi orchards of the upazila.

Sources said due to the difference in day-night temperature, untimely rain and drought, the buds on the trees have not come in the same way.

New leaves have appeared on most of the trees after buds got damaged creating possibility of low yield; consequently, garden owners, farmers and traders are fearing heavy losses, said the local office of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).

However, the DAE source added even if the yield is low, the price may increase. There is a hope that this will compensate for some of the losses.

Ishwardi produces a large amount of delicious and famous Bombay variety litchi. The reputation of this litchi variety is all over the country.

New leaves have appeared on most of the litchi trees after the buds have withered. This situation has occurred in 75 to 80 per cent of the litchi trees in the upazila, leaving the farmers, garden owners and traders worried.

Farmers said that there have been cases of less buds before. But there has never been a disaster like this. When the buds were coming, there was a sudden untimely rain. Then, instead of the buds, new leaves started coming on the trees.

Agriculture officials and farmers blamed the bad weather condition for the extensive damage of litchi buds.

Normally, heat increases gradually after the winter. But this time, production of litchi has been disrupted due to the sudden heat and sudden cold.

Ishwardi weather observer Nazmul Haque told FE, "The temperature is increasing every day in Ishwardi.

Agriculture officials and farmers said that 12 species of litchi are presently cultivated in Ishwardi. These include Bombay, Bedana, China-3, Mozaffar, Kadmi, Bari Litchi-1 to Bari Litchi-6.

Officials said every year litchi worth Tk4 to 5 billion (Tk400 to 500 crore) is produced in Ishwardi.

Livelihood of several thousand farmers in this region depends on litchi production.

Litchi trader Abul Bashar Pramanik had bought seven gardens in Sahapur and Chalimpur unions. He said only 20 to 25 per cent of his more than 300 litchi trees have buds now.

Even though buds are growing, they are falling due to intense heat.

He said, "Last year there was a profit. This year we will suffer a big loss."

Upazila Additional Agriculture Officer Mahmuda Motmainna said, "This time due to bad weather, most of the trees have fewer buds. This problem has arisen especially due to rainfall just before the budding."

Maniknagar's prominent litchi farmer, fertiliser, seed and pesticide seller Mustafa Jaman (Nayan) said that although he has 152 small and large litchi trees, only 11 trees have buds and the quantity is very low.

Prominent litchi farmer Nayeb Ali Munshi,70, told the FE that he has never seen such a fruit disaster in his age; he has not even heard from his ancestors about such catastrophe.

Although he has about a hundred litchi trees, budding has not been as expected. Shajahan Ali, a shopkeeper at Sardar Fruit Bhandar in Shimultala Bazar of Ishwardi, told the FE that the price of litchi will be relatively higher this season due to the lower yield compared to every other time.

Regarding the fruit disaster in Ishwardi, Deputy Assistant Plant Conservation Officer of the DAE,Ishwardi, Ekhlasur Rahman told the FE that litchi trees do not bud evenly every year, sometimes less and sometimes more.

According to the Ishwardi DAE Office, litchi was cultivated on 3,200 hectares of land in the upazila this year. The total number of litchi gardens here is

12,360. There are 252,000 litchi trees, each of which bears 4,000 to 4,500 litchis each season. Litchi was cultivated on 3,200 hectares of land in Ishwardi last year.

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