Our Correspondent :
Due to the impact of climate change, the yield of litchi in Ishwardi is expected to be disrupted this time. It is expected that the yield of litchi, especially Bombay variety, will be reduced by 30 percent due to non-emergence of buds. However, Mozaffar variety litchi will be harvested as before, according to the litchi growers and agriculture department. Due to low yield of litchi, the farmers involved in litchi cultivation are expected to face extreme financial hardship.
The capital of the Bombay variety of litchi and one of the most famous areas for litchi cultivation in the country, Ishwardi’s litchi garden, this time the number of litchi buds is much less. That is why farmers are fearing crop failure in litchi. Farmers said that this time 30-40 percent litchi buds have appeared on the tree. So the yield will be much less. In this situation, the garden owners and litchi growers who depend on litchi orchards are afraid of extreme financial disaster.
Zahurul Islam, a gardener from Maniknagar village in Ishwardi, said, “I have a litchi garden on three bighas of land. Last year I sold litchi for around three lakh rupees as the yield was good. But this time more than half of the buds did not come. I am skeptical about whether I will be able to sell litchi for half the price than last time.
Kitab Mandal alias Litchi Kitab, a national medal winning farmer in litchi cultivation, said that litchi worth Tk 8 lakh was sold in the orchards of previous years, but it is doubtful whether more than Tk 1 lakh can be sold this time as the buds did not come. Farmers in the rural areas of Ishwardi are mostly dependent on litchi cultivation. For financial reasons, many people have now planted litchi in the crop lands of the rural areas of Ishwardi. And the income of litchi garden depends on the sustenance of these farmers throughout the year.
Ishwardi Upazila Agriculture Officer Abdul Latif said litchi is one of the major cash crops of Ishwardi. Each fruit tree bears 3,000 to 30,000 litchis. Last year, litchi was planted in 2600 hectares of land in Ishwardi upazila. An additional 200 hectares of land has come under litchi cultivation this time as compared to last year. It produces 20 to 25 thousand metric tons of litchi every year. About Rs 500 crore worth of litchis are sold in Ishwardi every year. But this time due to climate change, the buds of Bombay variety litchi have come down to 30 percent. Agronomists have already revealed the reason for the low number of litchi buds this time. The Bombay litchi usually blooms at the end of January and the beginning of February, he said. This time from mid-January onwards, due to sudden decrease in the incidence of winter, the buds germinated less and more leaves sprouted. However, there was no problem in this variety as the buds of Mozaffar variety litchi came in early January. Bombay litchi is the most cultivated crop in Ishwardi. Therefore, if no other natural disaster occurs, there is a possibility of producing 6-7 thousand litchis this time. It is expected that litchi worth Tk 200 crore will be sold this time as well. Lychee buds are less susceptible to diseases, and if the weather is favorable in the coming months, the lychee crop will be able to recover from the disaster, he said.
