Punjab Litchi growers facing deep losses amid Corona lockdown
Pathankot(Punjab),12 May(HS): It is just few weeks left for Litchi harvesting but Litchi growers in Punjab are in deep quandary as prolonged countrywide lockdown lead to huge losses to Punjab litchi farmers who are yet to be approached by contractors for their orchards.
Previously, by the time of year, contractors, mostly from outside states including Uttar Pradesh would have to come to Punjab to take litchi orchards on lease by making advance payments to the farmers.
Last year too, Litchi growers had suffered huge losses as many dubious videos went viral on social media connecting Litchi fruit to the occurrence of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES). At that time, farmers reeled heavy losses as the price of litchi dipped to an all-time low.
Dr Arvind Kalra, owner of 85 acres of Litchi orchard in Punjab’s Pathankot said that till today, only one person from UP’s Saharanpur has approached him on Phone. “Such a situation was witnessed at the time of Operation Blue Star when ripened fruits were not plucked. Without traders and commission agents, how can we sell our fruits which are perishable items? Lockdown situation has brought such a situation to farmers like us.”
He has litchi orchards in Himachal Pradesh too but isn’t able to go there to see its yield due to lockdown, he added.
In Punjab, mainly two varieties of Litchi- Dehradun and Calcatta is mainly grown by nearly 1,100 farmers in few districts including Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur and Ropar covering nearly 3,000 acres of lands. Around 48 trees are grown in one acre and each tree yields approximately 50 to 100 kg of litchi depending upon its age.
Dr Jatinder Singh, Horticulture development officer, Pathankot said that this year, it’s very high yield production but like last year, farmers are facing serious problem which he had discussed with senior officials in a meeting. “The harvesting time of litchi is from 10th June to 25th June and in- between, things may come under control to some extent. “, he said.
Most of Punjab’s litchi sells in main vegetables and fruit markets in Delhi and Mumbai, from where it is exported to other states and countries including U.A.E, Kuwait and other Arab countries, he added.
“We will issue passes soon to outstation traders, middlemen and commission agents and labourers so that farmers do not face any suffering”, he said.
With nearly 12,500 labourers registered to return to their native states from Pathankot alone where orchards of litchi have spread over 1,600 acres, shortage of labourers is another main problem for farmers.
Sukhdev Singh Randhawa of Batala said that he has 17 acres of Litchi orchard in Pathankot’s Madhopur. “I am residing in Batala around 90 KM far away from my orchards in Madhopur and irrigating Litchi trees is very essential for bumper production, otherwise the yield gets damaged.
The wardens of my orchards mostly from Bihar have already registered to return back to their native village. In the coming days, labour shortage will be more when harvesting time will be at its peak, he regrets.
