Chhatak litchi growers hit by poor output

SUNAMGANJ, May 27 (UNB): Litchi growers of Manikpur-Godabari village, famous for production of the delicious juicy fruit, in Chhatak upazila are much frustrated due to poor output of the item this year.
The growers are to incur heavy losses this season since prolonged dry spell, lack of irrigation and birds' infestation seriously affected the fruit's production.
Officials concerned said the soil of several villages including Manikpur-Godabari under Noarai union in the upazila is very suitable for litchi cultivation.
Thousands of families of the villages have been cultivating the fruit famous for its mouth-watering taste over hundred of years.
They earn their livelihood through the farming and sale of the succulent and fleshy fruit.
Growers and others involved in litchi trade said the delicious summer fruit worth crores of taka is produced in orchards of the area and supplied to different parts of the country every year.
Besides Manikpur, litchi is being grown in Godabari, Kachudayr and Chanpur villages in Chhatak upazila and Tengra, Lamasania, Lambergao and Pormeshwaripur villages of Dwarabazar upazila.
They mentioned that litchi produced in Manikpur is being sold at markets and haats (makeshift markets) of Dawara, Bishwanath, Derai and Jagannathpur upazilas.
Owner of a litchi orchard Abdul Momin said the growers did not get expected yield of litchi this year as prolonged draught-like situation badly affected the growth of the tender fruit.
Despite the fact that litchi trees were in excellent flowering early in the season, about 50 percent buds dropped off due to heat wave and absence of rain, he said.
Besides unfavourable climactic condition, litchi growers-Saidur Rahman, Sundar Ali, Jamal Uddin, Keramat Ali and Joynal Abedin-said they have been forced to sell half ripe litchi due to infestation of bats like birds in litchi trees.
The growers lamented saying that they could have saved litchi trees from birds' infestation if there had been arrangement of electricity.
They demanded that the government develop transport system and provide more electricity connections to them so that they could save them from incurring crop losses.
Local MP Muhibur Rahman expressed solidarity with the farmers' demands.
Abdul Hamid, deputy assistant agriculture officer in Chhatak, said the upazila has seen a fall in litchi production this year due to the impacts of climate change, adding that growers have incurred losses for low yield of litchi though price of the item remains a little bit high in the market.
He also stressed the importance of developing communication system in the area and providing more electricity connections for the betterment of the farmers.