Bumper harvest of litchi likely
Tuesday, 19 April 2011
Yasir Wardad
A bumper output in litchi, a summer fruit, is expected in Dinajpur and Ishwardi after gardeners said this year's earning could cross Tk 6.0 billion. Abdus Salam Chowdhury, a gardener in Kahrol upazilla in Dinajpur district, said that this year's signs were "positive" as branches were covered with huge quantity of sprout. The Baishakh (first month of Bangla calendar) storms have not yet roared and if the next few days pass well, the region would get a bumper production. Mr. Chowdhury said he has a 3-bigha garden where he has a total of 40 trees. "Last year I got Tk 0.6 million only as production was poor due to Baishakhi storm. This year I sold it to an importer in Chittagong at Tk 0.8 million". Traditionally, he noted, the demand and price of litchi of Dinajpur was much higher than that of any other area in Bangladesh. A tree at Dinajpur can be sold upto Tk 30,000. Aminur Rahman, a rice miller and gardener at Ishwardi in Pabna district, told the FE that he sold per tree at Tk 10,000 to 11000 last year, but this season he has not yet sold it. "I am bargaining with importers, mostly coming from Dhaka and Chittagong. I expect per tree to be sold at Tk 14000 to Tk 15000," Mr. Rahman who owns a 6 bigha garden, said. "The sale pattern is like an auction where the highest bidder gets the garden. The price is, however, fixed by the condition of buds--the more the buds, the higher prices," he added. According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Dinajpur, more than 1,570 hectares of land under 13 upazillas of Dinajpur district grows litchis for commercial purpose. An estimated 150,000 trees exist in this area. Plant protection specialist (PPS) of Dinajpur DAE Md. Foez Uddin told the FE the sprout condition is very good, hoping to get a bumper production. He said gardeners are producing varieties like Bedana, Madraji, China-3 and local variety this season. Foez Uddin figured the gardeners in Dinajpur could earn over Tk 3.0 billion this season (per tree Tk 20,000). Pabna DAE deputy director Md. Mannan Hossain was also expecting a bumper production in Ishwardi. Talking to the FE over phone, he said 2,317 hectares of land in Iswardi were used for commercial litchi farming where the gardeners had 1,581 gardens with above 215,000 trees. "The interest is growing day by day because of the growing demand in bigger cities like Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet," he said. Gardeners in Pabna expect to ring up Tk 3.2 billion in sales this year (per tree Tk 15000). Litchi, the seasonal fruit of summer, flowers in February to March and fruits are harvested between April and May. According to the Bangladesh Fruits Vegetables and Allied Products Exporters Association, the country exports litchi to the Middle-East, EU, Canada, Malaysia and Singapore. Last year Bangladesh exported fruits, including litchi, which amounted to Tk 12.15 billion.
A bumper output in litchi, a summer fruit, is expected in Dinajpur and Ishwardi after gardeners said this year's earning could cross Tk 6.0 billion. Abdus Salam Chowdhury, a gardener in Kahrol upazilla in Dinajpur district, said that this year's signs were "positive" as branches were covered with huge quantity of sprout. The Baishakh (first month of Bangla calendar) storms have not yet roared and if the next few days pass well, the region would get a bumper production. Mr. Chowdhury said he has a 3-bigha garden where he has a total of 40 trees. "Last year I got Tk 0.6 million only as production was poor due to Baishakhi storm. This year I sold it to an importer in Chittagong at Tk 0.8 million". Traditionally, he noted, the demand and price of litchi of Dinajpur was much higher than that of any other area in Bangladesh. A tree at Dinajpur can be sold upto Tk 30,000. Aminur Rahman, a rice miller and gardener at Ishwardi in Pabna district, told the FE that he sold per tree at Tk 10,000 to 11000 last year, but this season he has not yet sold it. "I am bargaining with importers, mostly coming from Dhaka and Chittagong. I expect per tree to be sold at Tk 14000 to Tk 15000," Mr. Rahman who owns a 6 bigha garden, said. "The sale pattern is like an auction where the highest bidder gets the garden. The price is, however, fixed by the condition of buds--the more the buds, the higher prices," he added. According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Dinajpur, more than 1,570 hectares of land under 13 upazillas of Dinajpur district grows litchis for commercial purpose. An estimated 150,000 trees exist in this area. Plant protection specialist (PPS) of Dinajpur DAE Md. Foez Uddin told the FE the sprout condition is very good, hoping to get a bumper production. He said gardeners are producing varieties like Bedana, Madraji, China-3 and local variety this season. Foez Uddin figured the gardeners in Dinajpur could earn over Tk 3.0 billion this season (per tree Tk 20,000). Pabna DAE deputy director Md. Mannan Hossain was also expecting a bumper production in Ishwardi. Talking to the FE over phone, he said 2,317 hectares of land in Iswardi were used for commercial litchi farming where the gardeners had 1,581 gardens with above 215,000 trees. "The interest is growing day by day because of the growing demand in bigger cities like Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet," he said. Gardeners in Pabna expect to ring up Tk 3.2 billion in sales this year (per tree Tk 15000). Litchi, the seasonal fruit of summer, flowers in February to March and fruits are harvested between April and May. According to the Bangladesh Fruits Vegetables and Allied Products Exporters Association, the country exports litchi to the Middle-East, EU, Canada, Malaysia and Singapore. Last year Bangladesh exported fruits, including litchi, which amounted to Tk 12.15 billion.