Jahangir Hossain, Ishwardi
Fruits and crops have been severely damaged in Ishwardi of Pabna during the five-hour ordeal of super cyclone Ampan.
The violence continued from 10:30 pm to 5:00 am on May 20 in Ishwardi Upazila. Innumerable different types of trees including litchi, jackfruit and mango were uprooted. Litchi farmers in particular suffered huge losses as because of the storm, litchis fell from the tress just before ripening.
According to the Ishwardi Upazila Agriculture Officer's Office, Ishwardi litchi has a good reputation and is in great demand all over the country. The livelihood of many litchi farmers and traders here is involved with this lucrative crop.
Litchi farmers have suffered more this time due to the Ampan battering. 6,870 hectares of land in seven unions and municipal areas of the upazila have been affected by the cyclone. Of this, 1,050 hectares of litchi land was damaged.
Litchi is mostly cultivated in Chhalimpur, Sahapur, Laxmikunda and Dashuria Unions of the upazila. Besides, litchi cultivation is increasing in Muladuli, Pakshi, Sandra Union and municipal areas. Litchi has been cultivated commercially for 30 years as the soil here is suitable for litchi cultivation.
Some litchi growers said many litchi traders from outside the district did not come to buy litchi amid coronavirus fears. Due to this most of the farmers could not sell their gardens. In litchi gardens of Salimpu Union, different varieties of litchis hanging on the trees can be seen.
Bombay litchi started ripening, in the last few days, Joynagar Shimultala of Chhalimpur, Joynagar Bishbrodmor, Mirkamari Munnarmor, Chilimpur of Sahapur Union, Bansherbada, Awtapara, Dashuria Bazar, Muladuli and other markets are filled with this kind of litchi.
Both buyers and sellers say that the price of litchi of each variety is much lower this time than last year. The wholesale market of Joynagar Boardghar area of the upazila was more crowded than the retail market last Friday. Farmers are bringing litchi. The litchi is being packaged in a bamboo cage and getting ready to delivered in the other districts of the country.
Imran Hossain, a litchi farmer from Joynagar area, said, due to corona and Amphan, litchi farmers and garden owners did not get good yields and prices. Litchi farmers are in extreme despair.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Abdul Latif said, “Litchi has been planted in 3,000 hectares of land in seven unions and municipal areas of the upazila this year. Litchi is one of the major cash crops in the area. By cultivating litchi commercially, the people here are becoming self-sufficient. There are more than 3 lakh litchi trees here.”
“However, this time the litchi farmers here are affected by the Ampan and corona crisis. It was thought that litchi worth Tk 500 crore would be bought and sold in Ishwardi. But 30 to 40 percent of litchi trees fall off before ripening due to the impact of Ampan.”
He added that, “Every year many traders from far and wide of the country come to Ishwardi to buy litchi. But due to fear and transport crisis, the traders did not come this time.
As a result, the farmers are not getting their fair share of price of litchi this time. Due to these reasons, litchi worth Tk 300-350 crore may be sold in Ishwardi this time.”
