Lychee cultivation becomes popular
Thursday, 20 May 2010
Jashim Uddin
Brahmanbaria district, famous for jackfruit cultivation, is now the scene of feverish lychee cultivation. Lychee growers are set to reap a bumper harvest this season along with different varieties of jackfruit.
Local businessmen say the local variety of lychee, which is smaller in size, is currently dominating the market. High quality lychee such as Bombay, Madraji, China-3, BARI, Bedana and Mozaffarfur are yet to appear in plenty in the market. As both taste and production of lychees were satisfactory, farmers have readily embraced lychee cultivation. Lychee cultivation was also helping the economic growth of the district, a businessman observed.
Sources in Brahmanbaria Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said lychee cultivation had commercial prospects like jackfruit in the district and lychees were being sent to different districts including Dhaka, Chittagong, Narsingdi, Kishoreganj, Habiganj, Moulvibazar, Sunamganj and Sylhet.
Mosharraf Hossain, Deputy Director (DD) of DAE, told the Financial Express that nearly 50,000 lychee trees had been planted. The bumper production of lychees this year was due to favourable weather, he added.
Local lychee businessmen said production and market price of the fruit were both higher this year. Abul Mukit, a lychee retailer on T.A Road under Brahmanbaria Municipality said local lychees were being sold at Tk 2200.00 per thousand while the rate for the Bombay type was Tk 1800 per thousand.
Lychee sellers said businessmen did not get a good price for lychees last year because the uncongenial weather affected quality though there was a bumper production.
Statistics of DAE show that each tree bore between 5000 to 8000 lychees and it was expected that 160 million lychees would be produced in some 50,000 trees this year and fetch nearly Tk200.00 million.
Brahmanbaria district, famous for jackfruit cultivation, is now the scene of feverish lychee cultivation. Lychee growers are set to reap a bumper harvest this season along with different varieties of jackfruit.
Local businessmen say the local variety of lychee, which is smaller in size, is currently dominating the market. High quality lychee such as Bombay, Madraji, China-3, BARI, Bedana and Mozaffarfur are yet to appear in plenty in the market. As both taste and production of lychees were satisfactory, farmers have readily embraced lychee cultivation. Lychee cultivation was also helping the economic growth of the district, a businessman observed.
Sources in Brahmanbaria Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said lychee cultivation had commercial prospects like jackfruit in the district and lychees were being sent to different districts including Dhaka, Chittagong, Narsingdi, Kishoreganj, Habiganj, Moulvibazar, Sunamganj and Sylhet.
Mosharraf Hossain, Deputy Director (DD) of DAE, told the Financial Express that nearly 50,000 lychee trees had been planted. The bumper production of lychees this year was due to favourable weather, he added.
Local lychee businessmen said production and market price of the fruit were both higher this year. Abul Mukit, a lychee retailer on T.A Road under Brahmanbaria Municipality said local lychees were being sold at Tk 2200.00 per thousand while the rate for the Bombay type was Tk 1800 per thousand.
Lychee sellers said businessmen did not get a good price for lychees last year because the uncongenial weather affected quality though there was a bumper production.
Statistics of DAE show that each tree bore between 5000 to 8000 lychees and it was expected that 160 million lychees would be produced in some 50,000 trees this year and fetch nearly Tk200.00 million.