Rangpur litchi farmers happy with yield, prices

Bumper production and rewarding market prices of litchi have made farmers happy as trading of the juiciest seasonal fruit has now reached the peak in Rangpur the agriculture region.

Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and farmers said harvesting of the most popular, fleshy and juicy seasonal fruit continues in full swing now with abundant supply in local markets.

Deputy Director of the DAE for Rangpur Agriculturist Md Obaidur Rahman Mondal expressed his satisfaction with the bumper yield and market price of litchi.

After getting repeated bumper production and rewarding market prices, farmers are expanding the cultivation of litchi in orchards every year to reap more profits than many other crops.

“Field-level agriculture officials of the DAE provided the latest technologies and assistance to farmers in taking extensive care of blooming litchi trees and ensuring proper agronomic management to get bumper production of the most popular fruit,” he added.

Meanwhile, harvesting, packaging and marketing of litchi have created jobs for hundreds of labourers in Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari districts in the region.

“Farmers are getting the bumper output of litchi despite less rainfall during the fruit formation period,” said Additional Director of DAE for Rangpur region Agriculturist Md Aftab Hossain.

Farmers have cultivated litchi on around 1,750 hectares of land and the production might cross 17,500 tonnes worth about Tk 200 crore this year in the region.

The DAE sources and market sources said the harvest of the Bombay, Mozaffarpuri and Madrazi and China-2 variety litchi is nearing completion with plenty of supply and better market price, making both growers and traders happy.

The Bombay, Mozaffarpuri, and Madrazi varieties of litchi are being sold at rates between Tk 300 and 400 for every 100 pieces, while China-2 varieties at Tk 500 to 800 for every 100 pieces in the local markets.

However, the harvest of the aristocratic litchi varieties like Bedana, Kanthali and China-3 has already begun and prices for every 100 pieces of these superior litchi varieties are varying between Tk 800 and Tk 1,000 for every 100 pieces this season.

Fruit traders Babu Mian, Abdur Rahman and Fazlul Haque at Rangpur City Bazar said the supply of litchi remains plenty in local markets following bumper production, even after trading huge quantities of the fruit daily from the region to other districts.

Litchi grower Hasanul Haque of village Balapara Dilalpur in Badarganj upazila of Rangpur said he has been cultivating litchi on a commercial basis on his orchard for the past 15 years and changed his fortune never incurring any loss.

“I have cultivated Madrazi and China-3 varieties of litchi in my orchard on five acres of land,” he said, adding that he expects a super bumper production of the fruit and more profits this time than in previous years.

Farmers Toffael Husain, Mojnu Mian, Mozammel Hossain, Mofizar Rahman and Korban Ali of different villages in Rangpur said they have cultivated Madrazi, Bombay and China-3 varieties of litchi in their orchards.