Bumper yield with huge litchi business in Kishoreganj
Alam Sarowar Tito, Kishoreganj :
Kishoreganj is famous for Manhalbaria’ litchi. After a few days, litchi cutting festival will be held. The fame of this litchi has spread throughout the country due to its juicy, sweet, beautiful smell and deep red color. As the weather is good, the yield has been bumper this year. Mangalbaria litchi is wifely cultivated in a small village located in the east-south of Pakundia Municipal area of Kishoreganj. The litchi is named ‘Mangalbaria Litchi’ after the name of the village.
Although there are many varieties of litchi in the local market, the eyes of the buyers are towards the delicious Mangalbaria litchi in teast. Buyers from different parts of the country including the capital flocked to Mangalbaria village to taste this litchi. This litchi is sold at a high price in the garden. A hundred litchis are sold for tk. 500 to 600 . Most of the litchi gardens in Mangalbaria are sold out in advance. Some wholesalers buy the trees in advance and sell the litchi at a higher price.
It is known that about two hundred years ago, a person from distant China first brought a sapling and planted it in Mangalbaria village in Pakundia upazila of Kishoreganj. Due to the high yield and the small size of the juice, the local people are full of praise for this lychee. Within a few days, the litchi seedlings spread to every house in the village. As it was profitable, the villagers soon became interested in commercial production. Currently, every house in the area is decorated with this litchi tree. According to Agriculture Office, Mangalbaria village has about eight thousand litchi trees. This year, the farmers will be able to sell about 8 to 10 crores of litchi from the garden.
Litchi farmer Helena Akhter said, there are 12 trees. I can sell for 60 thousand rupees. I will buy rice for the whole year with this money. In addition, there will be other expenses of the family. Safir Uddin, a litchi farmer, said that his father was involved in litchi cultivation for a long time. Now he does. There are 50-60 trees. He has benefited from litchi cultivation. Every year I earned one to one and a half lakh rupees from litchi. We also produce honey from litchi flowers through bees.
