With the advent of spring, litchi blossoms are now blooming in abundance amid favourable weather conditions and sunny days everywhere in the region.
According to the local Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources, over 2,000 litchi orchards in the district have been set up on 750 hectares, mainly at Ichhakhada, Alamkhali, Paka Kanchanpur, Alaipur, Abalpur, Kashinathpur and other areas.
Horticulture specialist of DAE Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam said that commercial litchi cultivation has become popular as thousands of farmers have already achieved self-reliance through growing the fruit in recent years.
“The farmers are mostly cultivating high-yielding varieties like China-3, Bedana, Bombay, Mozaffarpuri and Madrazi, and late (harvest) variety Kanthali litchi, on more land following repeated bumper production and lucrative price,” he said.
He advised farmers to spray 80% sulphur on litchi trees if mites attack, due to rise in temperature during the fruit formation stage after budding from mid-March, to get better yields.
“The farmers can also spray ‘Mentozeb’ or ‘Propikonazole’ as per recommended dose to prevent powdery nose mildew or anthrax that might attack young leaves or blooming branches or buds with a rise in temperature amid cloudy skies,” he added.
While visiting Shahidur Islam’s huge litchi orchard in Rajbari upazila, the farmer said he had leased an orchard for Tk1.5 lakh this year, from which he is expecting a profit of Tk1 lakh after expenses.
Ruhul Amin, a DAE official in the district, said commercial litchi farming has been expanding fast, bringing fortune to thousands of farmers following repeated bumper productions with excellent market prices in recent years.
Another official, Sohrab Hossain, said the farmers have already boosted commercial cultivation of litchi in their orchards.
He expressed satisfaction over the prolific blossoming of litchi trees in the orchards and homesteads, predicting bumper production of the high-priced fruit amid favourable climatic conditions in the district this season.
