Ishwardi's delicious native litchi variants have started coming in the market since the mid-summer. The price of litchi is within the reach of the buyers as the yield is high. Litchi sellers say that this time the yield of litchi is higher, so the price may be lower. However, they said that with the increase in demand, the price may also go up.
According to the litchi traders, more or less litchis will be available in the market from the end of Boishakh, but the litchi market will be full from the mid-summer. They said that the price of local litchi is a bit lower this time. There has been a huge demand for litchi sales since the beginning. Buyers are flocking to shops and markets to buy litchi as they can afford it. At the beginning of the season last year, 100 litchis were sold for 250 to 300 Tk. But this time the price is lower at the beginning. This time 100 litchis are being sold in the market for 180 to 200 Tk.
Arshad Ali, a litchi seller in Ishwardi Bazar, said buyers were watching the litchi with interest as it was first introduced in the market. Compared to last time, this time the size of litchi has increased. As a result, buyers are buying litchi as soon as they see it. He is selling 5 to 6 thousand litchis a day. Another seller Saidul Islam said that more or less litchis have started coming in the market since the end of Boishakh. When the Bombay litchis start coming to the market after a week, the litchi huts of Ishwardi will be full of litchis throughout the month of Jaistha. Apart from retail sale, traders will buy Ishwardi's juicy litchi in different districts including the capital Dhaka.
According to the Ishwardi Upazila Agriculture Officer's Office, litchi is cultivated in 3,200 hectares of land in Ishwardi. The number of litchi gardens is 12,360. There are 2 lakh 52 thousand trees. Each tree holds 4 to 4 thousand litchis. Apart from this, in all the areas where litchi is cultivated, there are 2 to 4 litchi trees in the vita land adjacent to the house. The number of litchi trees increases every year. There are hundreds of litchi orchards in remote areas of Chhalimpur, Sahapur, Pakshi, Dashuria, Muladuli and Ladhikunda unions of the upazila. However, most of the litchi orchards are in Salimpur and Sahapur Union. Mozaffar and Bombay varieties of litchi are widely grown in Ishwardi, according to Agriculture Department officials.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Krishibid Mita Sarkar told Bangladesh Post that litchi has been planted in 3,200 hectares of land in the upazila this time. As the weather is favorable for litchi cultivation, the yield has been good this time. She said that according to the number of litchi trees and the yield of litchi per tree, litchi worth Tk 225 to 250 crore will be sold in Ishwardi this time. However, she said that if the price is higher, the amount of money may increase further.
