<i>Ishwardi orchards full of mouth-watering litchis</i>
Growers are expecting a bumper production of litchi, a juicy summer fruit, in Ishwardi upazila of the district, because of good weather condition this year. During a recent visit to the area this correspondent saw hundreds of trees bent with the delicious fruit in the orchards in Salimpur, Shahapur, Maniknagar, Joynagar and many other villages. Agriculture department and litchi producers claimed that the fruit was grown on at least 1.30 lakh trees in Ishwardi upazila compared to 1.25 lakh trees last year. They expect over 15 thousand metric tonnes of litchi worth Tk110 crore this year in the upazila alone. "At least two thousand 50 hectares of the upazila were brought under litchi cultivation this year. There are over 1.30 lakh trees and we are expecting a bumper production because of a favourable weather condition,” agriculturist Md Habibur Rahman at upazila office said. "We hope to get Tk105-110 crore alone from Ishwardi upazila, one of the leading litchi producing zones in the country," Habib said, adding that litchi is the main cash crop of the farmers of the upazila. "With the growing demand, litchi cultivation is also growing every year here and in the adjoining areas," he added. Sources said, at least 20 to 30 villages in Salimpur and Shahapur unions of Ishwardi upazila are prominent for litchi cultivation. During the visit to Pakshey, Shahapur, Salimpur, Joynagar, Maniknagar, Rooppur, Awtapara and other villages of the upazila, this correspondent talked to the farmers who expected a bumper production as well as handsome price this season. “There are 300 litchi trees in my orchard. Each small tree is likely to produce Tk 1500 to 2000 litchi this year although the production rate was very poor last year. I am expecting to earn Tk5 lakh from this orchard alone,” Md Jalal Uddin of Rooppur village said. Youth Jalal claimed that he was unemployed but now he is a prominent businessman by cultivating litchi in the last five years. “I have started litchi cultivation on my family's land 6 to 7 years ago. Last year I incurred huge loss due to the natural calamity. But I did not give up hope. This year I am expecting to make a handsome profit,” Jalal said. Farmers told this correspondent that the early variety of litchi has already gone to the market but the expensive 'Bombai variety' is expecting to hit market in a week or two. 'Bombai Litchi' of Ishwardi is very popular across the country, they said.
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