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Farmers in Pabna's Ishwardi upazila, known as Bangladesh's litchi capital, are experiencing a disappointing season despite a bumper harvest. A prolonged heatwave and an oversupply of fruit after Eid-ul-Azha have significantly driven down market prices, impacting growers' earnings.

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Although we received our expected prices for the local variety, we are disappointed by the poor prices for the Bombay variety.

While the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) estimates production will exceed 40,000 tonnes, generating over Tk 700 crore in sales, individual farmers report receiving lower prices than anticipated. Md Rakibul Islam, a farmer from Shahapur village, noted that while the early local variety fetched expected prices, the prominent Bombay variety is selling poorly.

"Although each tree yielded 7,000 to 8,000 litchis, it is difficult to find even 5,000 good-quality fruits per tree because a large portion has been damaged by black spots," said Md Touhidul Islam, another farmer. High-quality Bombay litchis are selling for Tk 2,000 per thousand, down from expected prices of Tk 2,500 to Tk 3,000, with lower-quality fruits fetching even less. Touhidul Islam earned around Tk 8 lakh from 120 trees, falling short of his Tk 10 lakh expectation.

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Although each tree yielded 7,000 to 8,000 litchis, it is difficult to find even 5,000 good-quality fruits per tree because a large portion has been damaged by black spots.

Farmers attribute the price drop to the convergence of peak harvest with the post-Eid period, leading to a market glut. Additionally, intense heat damaged many fruits, causing discolouration and black spots that reduced their market value. Litchis are particularly vulnerable to temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius, a condition that persisted during the critical harvest period.

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These are the lowest prices we have seen in the last few years.