Excellent flowering in the litchi trees amid favourable climatic conditions has made the farmers happy predicting bumper yield of the juiciest, tasty and fleshy fruit this season in the northern districts.
Massive litchi blooming has been continuing amid adequately favourable and the sunny weather that helps better flowering now with the advent of the spring at the eve of departure of the winter everywhere in the region.
According to sources in the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), over 70 percent of litchi trees in about 9,200 small, medium and big-sized litchi orchards as well as in the homesteads have been blooming now as the process still continues.
Horticulture Specialist of the DAE at its Rangpur regional office Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam today said commercial litchi cultivation has become popular in recent years bringing self-reliance to hundreds of farmers through farming the fruits.
The farmers have mostly been cultivating high yielding varieties like China-3, ‘Bedana’, Bombay, ‘Mozaffarpuri’ and Madrazi and late variety ‘Kanthali’ litchi on more lands following repeated bumper production and lucrative price.
Mesbahul Islam suggested the farmers to spray 80 percent Sulphur on litchi tress if mite attack is found following rise in temperature during fruit formation stage after budding from mid-March for getting better yield.
He suggested for spraying ‘Mentozeb’ or ‘Propikonazole’ as per recommended dose to prevent powdery nose mildew or anthrax those might attack the young leaves or blooming flower twigs or buds following rise in temperature amid fog or cloudy sky.
Talking to BSS, owner of a litchi orchard Atiar Rahman in village Damodarpur under Sadar upazila in Rangpur said excellent flowering is taking place in almost all litchi trees in his orchard.
Litchi growers Abul Hossain, Harunur Rashid, Aminul Haque, Nilchand Roy, Rostam Ali, Kafil Uddin and Bahadur Ali said excellent flowering predicts bumper litchi yield this time like in the previous seasons. Agriculture & Environment Coordinator of RDRS Bangladesh Mamunur Rashid predicted bumper litchi production this season if the climatic condition remains favourable till June next.
Adviser- Agriculture of BRAC International (South Asia & Africa) Dr M A Mazid said bumper production with excellent market price have been inspiriting the farmers in commercial litchi cultivation in the northern districts in recent years.
The farmers have boosted commercial basis cultivation of litchi successfully in their orchards in Dinajpur, Rangpur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh and other northern districts in recent times, he added.
Acting Regional Additional Director of the DAE SM Ashraf Ali also predicted a bumper production of the fleshy and juiciest fruit following excellent blooming amid favourable climatic condition in the northern districts this season.
