Litchi yield likely to fall at Ishwardi this season

PABNA, May 10: Litchis production is likely to fall in Ishwardi Upazila of the district.

According to field sources, despite showing hope of a bumper crop this year, the litchi is dropping down due to drought; severe drought caused litchis to dry and become smaller in size; and half of some litchis turned black.

This situation has arisen as there has been no rain for about three weeks.
When the matter was brought to the notice of Ishwardi Upazila Agriculture Officer Mita Sarkar, she said, the Department of Agriculture is trying its best  to stand beside the farmers.

There are commercial litchi gardens on 3,100 hectares of land, having over three lakhs of trees. Of these trees, one and a half lakh trees are more than 17-18 years old.

As litchi cultivation is profitable, the number of gardens is increasing every year. In past years, litchis worth about Tk 500 to 550 crore were sold in the district.

Abul Kalam Azad, a litchi farmer of Mirkamari Village in Salimpur Union, has 40 litchi trees. His trees were full of buds and bunches of litchis. He expected a bumper yield. But due to several weeks of continuous drought and intense heat, 25 trees have lost their lichis. Of the 15 plants that have some litchis, most of these are half-burnt and blackened.
 
The same situation is in the village of Noman Mia. Due to lack of rain and the heat of the last few days, almost all the litchis of trees in the garden have fallen.

Noman Mia said, "This year, litchi trees were full of buds. We expected a bumper yield. We have two hundred trees of our own. Apart from this, I bought more than a hundred trees. Now the trees that are next to the paddy fields  are good. But the condition of the litchi of other farmers is very bad."

There are thousands of litchi trees in about a few square kilometres of these villages. Litchi farmers were seen sprinkling water on litchi trees with artificial machines.

Another farmer Safur Uddin said, "If there is rain, we can start picking up litchis now. But because of the drought, litchi farmers are in trouble."

Upazila Agriculture Officer and Agriculturist Mita said, "Agriculture officials are given instructions  to inspect litchi gardens and give regular advice to the farmers. But as the weather is not favourable, litchis are dropping."