Growers eye bumper litchi harvest in Dinajpur

Among the juicy delights of summer fruits in Bangladesh, the famed litchis from Dinajpur district always stand out.

With the summer heat gradually intensifying, the fruit's harvest has begun in the district.

Meanwhile, the Bedana variety of Dinajpur got Geographical Indication (GI) recognition certificate on April 30 this year.

In Dinajpur, the fruit is cultivated in all 13 upazilas, making litchi almost synonymous with the district itself.

According to experts, the most delicious litchis come from Mashimpur of Dinajpur Sadar upazila and Madhabbati of Biral upazila.

Among the different litchi varieties grown in Dinajpur, including Madrazi, Bombay, Bedana, China-2, China-3, Hariya, and Kathali, the Bedana and China varieties are particularly prized for their premium quality, fetching higher prices due to their colour, taste, flesh texture, and smaller seeds, while the Madrazi variety is known to ripen early and reach the markets first.

Visiting the orchards in Dinajpur Sadar and other upazilas of the district, as well as neighbouring Thakurgaon and Panchagarh districts, this correspondent observed that the fruits are gradually turning from green to vibrant red, marking the onset of the harvest season.

While the fruit is yet to fully ripen at most of the orchards, some farmers have begun picking early varieties and bringing those to local markets.

According to agricultural officials and growers, the ideal time to harvest and consume Dinajpur's litchis typically spans between May 15 and June 15. However, they noted that it will take a few more days for the fruit to reach its peak sweetness, flavour, and signature bright red colour.

Md Afzal Hossain, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Dinajpur, said due to favourable weather this season, the district is expected to see a bumper harvest of around 36,000 tonnes of litchi, worth around Tk 700 crore, from 5,491 hectares of land brought under the fruit's cultivation.

About 50,000 people in the district earn their livelihood by growing and trading litchi, he added.

Meanwhile, litchi production in the neighbouring Thakurgaon and Panchagarh districts is expected to be around 2,473 tonnes from 435 hectares of land, said DAE sources.

Jatan Gupta, 43, a trader at Kalitala litchi market in Dinajpur town, said Madrazi and Bedana varieties have started arriving in the markets.

"Madrazi litchis are selling for Tk 240-260 each bundle of 100 pieces, while Bedana is priced between Tk 600-700 each bundle," he said, adding that the harvest is expected to gain full momentum from the last week of May.

Amzad Hossain, 45, a grower of Syedpur Sikdarhat village under Sadar upazila, said the trees bore fruits well this season due to favourable weather.

"If the temperature remains tolerable for rest of the month, I hope to earn around Tk 8 lakh from my orchard, which has 130 litchi trees of Madrazi, Bedana, Bombai and Kathali varieties, spread over two acres of land," he added.

Md Sabuj Islam, 33, of Kosba village under the same upazila, said he has leased three small orchards with a total of 130 litchi trees at a cost of Tk 4 lakh and spent around Tk 2 lakh more for nurturing and other expenses.

"I expect to earn around Tk 8 lakh this season, as the trees bore fruit abundantly. Madrazi variety will hit the market soon, followed by Bedana, Bombai, China-2 and China-3. The season will end with the late varieties including Hariya and Kathali," he added.

Meanwhile, the DAE has taken steps to supervise 15 litchi orchards in Birol upazila aiming to produce export-quality fruit.

"Agro experts are advising growers to apply pesticides properly in order to maintain the Maximum Residual Limit (MRL), which ensures consumers to receive fresh produce free from harmful pesticide effects," said Mostafa Hasan Imam, Birol upazila agriculture officer.

If export possibilities grow, it could open a new horizon for litchi farming in the region, Mostofa added.

Square Food and Beverage Ltd, which exported 5,000 pieces litchis to the UK experimentally last year, is now exploring the possibility of expanding the fruit's export this year.

Rezaul Karim, manager (International Marketing) of the company, said they are eyeing the export of a significant quantity of litchis to the UK, France, and Germany this year.