An advanced variety of sweet litchis has already appeared to sell at various markets and local hats of Durgapur, Puthia and Paba Upazilas of Rajshahi. These juicy, succulent litchis have a tremendous demand throughout the country. These early varieties of litchis are small in size with a large seed inside.
According to sources, there were 45 per cent more budding on Litchi trees of the upazilas than that last year. Moreover, the fruit litchi does not increase in size and taste due to severe drought-like weather conditions and lack of rainfall. There having no sufficient growth of the fruit due to adverse weather conditions, litchi farmers are a bit worried about its production. But, these advanced varieties of litchis are being sold at a good price.
According to eye-witness sources, the villages of Maskatadighi, Parila, Baya, Naohata under Paba upazila, Amgram, Joynanagar, Shyampur, Kuhsadanga, Amgachi and Bardhanpur villages hold spectacular scenes of Litchi trees with hundreds of nearly ripened litchis on those. These early varieties of litchis are being sold now at Kantakhali, Naohata, Baya bazaars, Sing Bazar, Municipality gate, Upazila crossings, Shampur Bazar, Alipur Bazar, Kanpara hat and Daukandi hat by the local fruit vendors. Litchi trader Abdul Karim at Kantakhali Bazar informed, the litchi has started to appear in the market from this current week. Now, advanced variety of 'seed' or 'Ati' litchi is being sold in various markets. These Litchis are sweet and luscious but are small in size with large seeds. He said, it would take 10 to 15 days more to harvest and marketing of Bombay and Chinese varieties of litchis.
Litchi trader Ekram Ali of Singa hat informed, he took 3,000 litchis to sell on May 15 and all of those were sold within three hours.
Ersad Ali, a consumer of Litchi informed last year he purchased the early varieties of Litchis at Tk 150 to 170 per one-hundred but this year the same varieties are being sold at 280 to 320 per one-hundred fruits.
According to the Agriculture Office of Durgapur upazila, there are Litchis orchards on 50 hectares of land in the upazila and a target of producing 1,500 metric tonnes of Litchis has been fixed this year.
Rahima Khatun, Upazila Agriculture Officer of Durgapur informed, the early variety of Ati litchi is Muzaffarpuri variety of litchi. The seed of this litchi are large and the consumable parts inside is small but these are sweet, succulent and tasty.