Bihar expecting huge litchi output this time

MOTIHARI: Hailstorms accompanied by heavy rain during the last three weeks notwithstanding, the East Champaran district is expecting bumper litchi fruits this season.

Although this year mango trees bore little fruits due to a lean year, the loss is likely to be compensated with bumper juicy Shahi, China and Bedana litchis and its plucking will start from Tuesday. Hundreds of litchi dealers from Delhi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Varanasi, Nepal and other places are camping at Motihari.

District horticulture officer (DHO), East Champaran, Jairam Pal said the district has, of late, emerged the largest litchi producing district in the state and the total area under litchi cultivation in the district is about 13,000 hectares.

He expects 1.80 lakh MT litchi production in the district this season. Agriculture production commissioner A K Sinha said the litchi yield this year will be good. National Litchi Research Centre, ICAR , New Delhi, director Vishal Nath said, “We are expecting 28 per cent more litchi production this year in Bihar compared to last year when the yield was 2.25 lakh MT.”

Pal said a joint meeting of the National Horticulture Mission and National Horticulture Board held recently at Patna resolved to give a brand name to the litchi of East Champaran, which has become the largest producer of litchi in the state. An ambitious plan has been conceived by the state government for the promotion of litchi.

The Mission has also decided to provide infrastructure like pre-cooling, pre-modified atmospheric packaging, grading and sorting of the produce and cool management facilities. Some senior officials regretted that in the absence of proper marketing and infrastructure, the litchi growers are biggest sufferer. Actually, the middlemen are earning more than farmers as far as litchi business is concerned in Bihar, they felt.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar is expected to inaugurate a three-day Litchipuram Utsav at Mehasi on June 4, according to Utsav spokesperson Sudist Thakur. The CM had participated at this Utsav in 2008 at Mehasi.