Poor output dents Chhatak litchi growers\\\' hopes

Litchi growers of Manikpur-Godabari village, famous for production of the delicious juicy fruit, in Chhatak Upazila of Sunamganj 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 is very suitable for litchi cultivation. Thousands of families of the villages have been cultivating the succulent summer 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 millions 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. However, 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 per cent 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, according to a news agency.