Mouth-watering litchis will be dear this year

Sweet but still small in sizes, the quality litchis have been selling at Tk 120 for a hundred in local markets for the last few days.

The price will go up further when better varieties will be available, according to market sources.

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"About 10 per cent of litchis get damaged because of worm attack every year. In the beginning, the lichi plants were almost free from worm. But frequent storms followed by worm attack have downsized production by over 30 per cent", said horticulturist Abdul Mannan, also a Rajshahi University botany teacher.

Moreover, because of absence of lichi processing facilities in the region, the dropped litchis cannot be utilised properly, he said further.

Usually, five lakh metric tons of litchis are produced in eight districts of Rajshahi region.

Local horticulturists informed that more than half of the total production of the country comes from Rajshahi and Dinajpur. Litchis grow in plenty also in the districts of Chapainawabganj, Natore, Naogaon, Pabna, Bogra and Joypurhat.

The deputy director (DD) of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) told The Daily Star local growers in Rajshahi, Natore, Chapainawabganj and Pabna districts are now cultivating litchi on commercial basis.

"They are interested in growing China-3 variety alongside BARI-1. Growers and middlemen earn between Tk one lakh and three lakh from each acre every year", he informed.