Unfavourable weather conditions and advance rains have cut down production of litchi by about 30 per cent in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, the 'Litchi capital of India'.
Director, National Research Centre for Litchi, Vishal Nath said the problem of unfavourable weather condition multiplied since farmers did not takes any steps against it.
"Farmers need to adopt better farm management by resorting to pre and post harvest spray," Nath said. Weather and rains have caused early fall of the fruit resulting in almost 30 per cent decline in litchi production, Bholanath Jha, a big farmer of the fruit here said.
Jha sought active intervention of the central and the state governments to provide better transport and technical know how to farmers to increase the yield.
Muzaffarpur's litchi has a great market in the Gulf and European countries, Nath said. Bihar has 38 varieties of litchi with 'Shahi' and 'China' quite popular.
The state produces 52 per cent of the country's litchi with Muzaffarpur district and neighbouring areas of Vaishali and Samastipur being the producing hub.
Litchi is grown on 46 per cent of cultivable land in Muzaffarpur district, which on an average produces 1.5 lakh tonne of the fruit.
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