Two more days are left till the Bangla month of Joistha, commonly known as ‘Modhumash’ (honey month), and the juicy fruit litchi, one of the popular seasonal fruits in the country, has already started appearing in the Rajshahi markets. The price, however, is still too high for commoners.
One hundred litchis are sold at Tk220 to Tk350, but traders said this quantity of litchi was sold at Tk120 to Tk150, last year.
Many seasonal traders have set up makeshift shops at different points in Rajshahi city, including at Shaheb Bazar, Shalbagan, Lakshmipur, Sheroil bus terminal, Bindurmore and the Court area, displaying the delicious fruit.
Madraji, Bombai, Kadmi, Mojjafarpuri, Bedana, Kalibari, Mongalbari, Chaina-3, Bari-1, Bari-2 and Bari-3 are the most favorite varieties of litchi among customers, traders said.
Noticing the arrival of the fruit, many people come over to purchase it, but return back in empty hand when they see the exorbitant prices.
“I had gone to purchase some litchi for my family, but was astonished by the high prices of the fruit,” said Nurunahar, a resident of the Shalbagan area.
She hopes that she will be able to purchase the fruit in the coming days.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, 378.8 hectares land has been used for litchi cultivation in the district this year with a production target of 2,078 tonnes.
There is a great demand for the Rajshahi litchi across the country, but growers fear that the production target might not be achieved this year because of the fluctuation in temperatures.
But agriculturists claim litchi production will be as per the growers’ expectations.
Raipara, Choto Bonogram, Lichu Bagan, Banessor and Bagha are the main locations where most of the Rajshahi litchi are produced and marketed.
Rahamatullah, who sells seasonal fruits in the Sahebbazar area, said inclement weather, associated with the high temperatures, caused huge damage to litchi production this year, thereby hiking up the price.
Mohammad Alimuddin, senior scientific officer at Rajshahi Fruit Research Station, told the Dhaka Tribune that despite inclement weather the district had witnessed a bumper yield of the fruit.
Mainuddin, a litchi grower from Choto Bongram under the Shah Makhdum thana, said because of the extreme heat and drought, the litchi had ripened earlier last year but this year it has ripened at the right time.
Akbar Hossen, a litchi grower from the Poba upazila, said he had hundreds of litchi trees on his three bighas of land.
“I have sold the litchi from my trees to different traders across the country at Tk1.10 lakh and my I am hoping that I will be able to make a profit of Tk80,000 this year,” he said.
Deputy Director of the Rajshahi Agricultural Extension Department said litchi will be available in the markets within the next two months.
He expressed hope that the prices of the fruit will fall soon.
