Litchi trading worth around Tk 1,000 crore is expected in Rangpur this season, according to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) officials.
Both litchi growers and traders expressed their happiness over bumper production, better price and excellent business of the seasonal fruit, said the DAE sources.
Bedana litchi in Dinajpur has been exported to international markets for the first time this year, creating hope among the farmers, experts and government officials.
According to the deputy commissioner (DC) office and DAE in Dinajpur, the first consignment of the juicy and fleshy fruit 600 kilogrammes had been exported to France and Italy last week.
Shakil Ahmed, the DC of Dinajpur, inaugurated the export consignment at his office last week.
The DC said the first consignment comprising about 32,000 pieces of litchi of the Bedana variety has been exported. The export quality fruit was maintained following all the standards and adequate packaging. The administration had also taken all measures to ensure fair prices for the farmers, the DC added.
Officials of the DAE in Rangpur said around 18,000 tonnes of litchis from 1,749 hectares of land have been harvested in five districts- Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat of Rangpur region
The soil and climate condition of the region is favourable for litchi production while the land of Dinajpur is much more conducive for farming. In Dinajpur, there are around 4,000 litchi orchards covering 5,500 hectares of land.
According to the Department of DAE, Dinajpur, litchi yield production in the district reached around 30,000 tonnes this year.
Deputy Director, DAE Dinajpur, Md Nuruzzaman said, the farmers, traders and other related people in the cultivation and trade expect a business of around Tk 1,000 crore this year in Rangpur region. The harvesting of fruit has almost finished. The production would likely exceed this year as the cultivation had been affected slightly by the ongoing adverse weather conditions in the region.
The growing number of litchi gardens and their trade has created job opportunities for thousands of vulnerable people including the transport workers in the region who use to earn reasonable amounts of money during the season by selling in mobile shops, crafting bamboo and Cane made baskets for packaging and plucking fruits in the orchards, he added.
Litchi is cultivated in all the 13 upazilas of Dinajpur district and the markets are filled with all five varieties of litchis including Bombai, Madrazi, China-1, 2 and 3 and Bedana for trading. Many trucks are being loaded directly from the orchards, said growers.
Afzal Hossain, the owner of an orchard said, “It is a great honour and joy for me as well as the litchi growers of the district to export fruits directly to foreign countries.”
A villager, Biren Mahali of Birol upazila said, he earns money selling around 100 to 200 pieces of baskets to the fruit traders and buyers every day in the litchi markets at a cost of Tk 80 to 300 depending on their size.
Monowara Begum of the same upazila said she earns at least Tk 500 per day plucking litchis. Many of the unemployed men and women of the village have work opportunities in the season.
During a recent visit to Gor-e-Shahid Moydan and Kalitola markets in Dinajpur town, this correspondent found the litchi market buzzing with a large number of sellers and buyers.
Growers expressed joy and happiness over the production and business of the fruit this year. Many people, who came outside of the district with different modes of vehicles, were seen roaming around and buying litchi.
“A large number of wholesale buyers from Dhaka, Sylhet, Chattogram and Barishal were found visiting the markets to buy the produce. Courier transport services, buses, trains and trucks are being used to transport the fruit.
Many orchard owners, traders, and farmers of the district expressed satisfaction with the production of the fruit.
