RANGPUR: The farmers produced about 45,000 tonnes of the juicy and fleshy seasonal fruit litchi worth Taka 200 crore in Rangpur division as its harvest just ended this season, reports BSS. According to the officials, litchi growers and traders, the region noticed bumper litchi business that also created huge jobs for hundreds of labourers in harvesting, processing and marketing litchi everywhere till this weekend. Talking to BSS, both litchi growers and traders expressed satisfaction over bumper production, high price and excellent business of the seasonal fruit during the current season. At the initial harvesting stage, every 100 pieces of local variety litchi were sold at rates between Taka 180 and 250 and high yielding varieties at rates between Taka 450 and 500, market sources said today.
However, every 100 pieces of the high quality Bedana variety litchi were sold at Taka 100 to 1,100 and China-3 variety at Taka 600 to 700 at the end of harvesting period this time.
The lucrative litchi prices kept both growers and traders happy this season when the poorer section people had to remain deprived of the delicious taste of litchi as its prices remained beyond their reaches. According to sources in the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), the farmers have cultivated litchi in 1,000 small, medium and big-sized orchards and homesteads on around 7,000 hectares of land in all eight districts under Rangpur division this year.
“After completing harvest amid favourable climatic condition, the farmers have finally produced about 45,000 tonnes of litchi worth over Taka 200 crore in the division this season,” Horticulture Specialist of DAE Khondker M Mesbahul Islam said.
The farmers have cultivated Bedana, China-3, Bombay, Madrazi, Mozaffarpuri and Kanthali varieties litchi in 667 orchards on 4,100 hectares of land this season alone in Dinajpur district that produces the highest quantity of the fruit in the country.