Litchi farmers of Magura are worried about low yield, as they have been facing a drought-like situation due to the scorching heat and lack of rain. Litchis grown in 20 villages, including Hazrapur, Mithapur, Hazipur, Raghabdair, Shibrampur, and Mirzapur, are famed for their sweetness. Traders from different parts of the country purchase litchi from Magura district, supplying it nationwide. Litchi trees start blooming by the end of March and the time between flowering and fruit formation is very important as yields are dependent on the care given in this duration. But this year, the litchi pods are dropping off due to the drought-like situation. Raza Hossain, a litchi farmer in Mirzapur village under Sadar upazila, said, “I have 400 litchi trees in my orchard and I kept nurturing them when the trees started blooming. The usual care is being given to ensure the pods are ok.” Also read: Sonargaon litchi growers expecting bumper yield

The arrival of the luscious fruit is a silver lining every summer -- both for the connoisseurs as well as the cultivators of litchi in Bangladesh. However, this litchi season could well turn out to be disappointing, at least for the fruit growers in Kushtia's Khoksha upazila because of something they had no control over -- high temperature and drought. Read Sunflower cultivation in Khulna: Salinity no longer a barrier A number of litchi farmers in the upazila's Gopgram, Satpakhia, Boroi Chara, Basoa, Daskahunia, Manikat villages told UNB that they had high hopes of a bumper crop this summer, a projection based on the healthy flowering of the fruit three-four months ago. But the cultivators said that unfavourable weather had shattered their hopes. They claimed it would be really difficult for them to recover even the production cost this year. Touhidur Rahman, the owner of a litchi farm in Gopgram, said, “A couple of years back, I brought around 20 bighas of land under litchi cultivation. Currently, there are 500 trees in my orchard. But high temperature and inadequate rains have prompted the damage of fruits." Also read: Bumper litchi yield brings smiles to B’baria farmers amid virus worry Last year, he pocketed Tk 3.5 lakh from the sales of litchi. "This year, I may not be able to even recover the production cost of Tk 20,000," the humble fruit grower said. Harez Ali, another grower, said, “I have taken an orchard in Dashkahunia village on lease for Tk 1.80 lakh. At first, I spotted fruits on the 68 litchi trees in the farm. But the unfavourable weather led to cracks on fruits and their subsequent dropping from trees." "I am staring at huge losses this year. The owner of the orchard is also reluctant to return the money," he added. Read Farmers in Bishwanath happy with Boro yield According to the District Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), 103 hectares of land were brought under litchi cultivation in Kushtia this year. Sabuj Kumar Shaha of Khoksha Upazila Agriculture Office, said, “Unfavourable weather may hit a handful of litchi growers in some villages this year, but the production of the fruit in other parts of the upazila is likely to exceed the target set by the authorities concerned.” Read Manirampur farmers making money by broccoli farming

High temperature and humidity can reduce the transmission of the novel coronavirus or COVID-19, which has so far affected 162 countries and territories including Bangladesh, according to a new study by Chinese researchers.