Bumper production of lychee has delighted the growers in the district as they are getting fair prices for the seasonal fruit despite the coronavirus situation all over the country.
Local farmers said although they were worried over the sale of lychee amid the lockdowns now they are happy that the juicy fruit worth around Tk1 crore is being sold in different markers of the district every day, reports UNB.
The lychee of Bijoynagar upazila of the district is famous for its sweetness and taste and that’s why fruit traders from different parts of the country throng here to buy the fruit, they said.
In other parts of the country the delicious fruit arrived in the market in mid April but in Bijoynagar upazila it started to come to the market in the month of May.
Sources said the lychee growers in Bijoynagar upazila started its commercial cultivation in 2000 and most of the people of the upazila got involved in the business as it proved to be more profitable than other businesses, with less effort. Many farmers in the upazila have turned their cropland into lychee orchard.
Currently there are 500 lychee orchards in Paharpur, Bishnupur, Kanchanpur, Khatinga, Kashimpur, Singarbill, Champaknagar, Adampur, Kalachara, Merashani, Sejamura, Kamalmora, Nurpur, Harashpur, Mukundapur, Noagaon, Alipur, Chandpur, Kashinagar, Saturpur, Rupa, Santamora, Kamalpur, Kachuamora, and Bhitidaurpur areas of the upazila.
All varieties of lychee including local variety, ‘Elachi’, ‘Chaina’, ‘Patnai’ and ‘Bombai’ lychees are available in the orchards.
Aulia Bazar in Bijoynagar upazila is the biggest wholesale lychee market in the upazila. Besides, it is sold at Merashani, Mukundupur, Kangkoira, Champaknagar, Singerbill and Amtoli Bazaar in the upazila.
Traders from Brahmanbaria, Comilla, Narsingdi, Bhairab, Noakhali, Chandpur, Moulvibazar, Sylhet, Sreemangal, Habiganj, Feni and Dhaka come to the markets to buy the fruit, said local traders.
Farmers said this year's sale of lychee is a little bit lower than the previous year’s sale due to the coronavirus, but the overall business is good.
Local lychee traders said the sale starts in the markets at 4 am and continues till 8-9 am every day.
One thousand lychees of local varieties are being sold at Tk 2,000, while ‘Elachi’ and ‘Chaina’ varieties at Tk 2000-3000 and Patnai and Bombai varieties at Tk 2,200-2500.
Makbul Hossain, a lychee trader in Habiganj district said, “I have bought lychee worth over Tk1 lakh everyday in the last three days from Aulia Bazar.
“We are facing transportation problems due to the coronavirus situation and we have to give money to police at different points,” he said.
Bijoynagar Agriculture Officer Khujir Hossain said this year a total of 370 hectares of land have been brought under lychee cultivation, which is 20 hectares more than the previous year.
“We provided necessary information, fertilizers and pesticides to the lychee farmers,” he said.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Meher Nigar said: “There is a directive from the ministry concerned to prevent harassment of businessmen and we’ll take action if we receive any complaint.”