Heatwave, drought threaten mango, litchi production

Ongoing heatwaves and drought conditions in parts of the country have posed a serious threat to the production of two popular summer fruits – mango and litchi – this year, raising concerns among farmers and traders. 

Farmers fear that they may not be able to get high yields of the fruits this season to meet the demand.

In addition, as the country is a major producer and also exporter of seasonal fruits, any decrease in production can have an adverse impact on the economy.

According to farmers, the prolonged heatwaves and lack of rainfall have caused a significant reduction in fruit size and weight. The dry weather conditions have also led to early fruit dropping, reducing the total yield. 

Each year, traders from different parts of the country collect the finest litchis from Dinajpur and Ishwardi, and supply it nationwide. This year, farmers in the two top litchi-producing destinations are in fear of weaker yields. 

Usually, litchi trees start blooming by the end of March and the time between flowering and fruit formation is very important. But this year, drought occurred at that crucial period.

A litchi farmer, Raza Hossain, told The Business Standard, "I have 400 litchi trees in my orchard and I kept nurturing them when the trees started blooming".

"Despite the care, 40% of the litchi pods have already fallen from the trees and now I am trying to protect the rest by spraying water," he added.

Another farmer, Quddus Biswas, said, "I have ten litchi orchards and I failed to spray water regularly in my orchards due to lack of water in the adjacent canals because of drought. Now I am in fear of losing all the litchi pods if adequate water is not managed".

Due to intense heat and drought, gutis [mangoes on setting stage] were falling from the trees in Rajshahi, which is the top mango-producing district in the country. However, rain occurred in Rajshahi on 24 April and in Chapainawabganj on 26 April, in a very first of the season – offering blessings to the mango farmers.

Abdur Razzak, a mango farmer in Rajshahi, told TBS, "I have an orchard of 1,000 mango trees. Persisting hot weather and drought have affected us badly as the mangoes were falling from the trees. The rain two days ago helped the mangoes a lot and showed us hope of a satisfactory yield".

"Although we have lost a lot of gutis [mangoes on setting stage] already, even if no other disaster comes then we will get a good amount of yield to address the loss, said the optimistic farmer," added the optimistic farmer.

Meanwhile, industry experts have expressed their concerns about the impact of persisting hot weather on summer fruits. 

"If the current situation persists, it may lead to a significant decrease in production, resulting in a shortage of these fruits and an increase in prices in markets," warned renowned agricultural economist Professor Dr MA Sattar Mondol.

The country's mango and litchi production not only caters to domestic demand but also has a significant export market. Keeping it in mind, the government has taken various initiatives to support the farmers during these challenging times, including providing subsidies for irrigation methods and agricultural inputs. 

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) has developed drought-tolerant mango and litchi cultivation methods, by which fruits can withstand such adverse weather conditions.

"We have developed some cultivation guidelines for the farmers and have already given it to the ministry. Following those, farmers can cope with changing climate-saving production" said Dr Babul Chandra Sarker, chief scientific officer at the fruit division of BARI.