Scientist SK Purbe instructs the farmers on litchi preservation techniques in Muzaffarpur. Picture by Prakash Kumar

Muzaffarpur, May 10: Famous litchis of north Bihar will be up for sale in nitrogen packets, much like packets of potato chips, in an attempt to increase its shelf life.

United Nations representative for food and agriculture wing Danilo Mejio was in Muzaffarpur to boost the market demand of the succulent fruits of north Bihar.

The farmers and litchi growers are being trained to adopt a scientific method of packing the fruit, to help command high prices in the market.

Mejio, along with the director of National Litchi Research Institute, Vishal Nath and scientist S.K. Purbe, organised an interactive session on Monday evening with a group of litchi farmers to guide them on how to preserve the fruit in an air-tight pack that would help increase the shelf life of the fruit.

Traditional growers and cultivators have been taught tips to treat the fruit after harvest. Suggestions were also given on the harvest and handling of the fruit post-harvest.

Mejio said there has been an increase in the demand of the fruit from north Bihar, not only from various parts of the country, but also abroad where the demand has been “soaring day by day”.

“Qualitative production and better management of plucking it from the trees could increase the longevity of litchi. It should be plucked as advised to the farmers by keeping a long stem, lessening the potential of hydrogen and wiping out the fungus threat. This will help retain the pink colour of the skin and full tight shape of the fruit for more hours after plucking,” he said.

“Farmers have been requested to adopt the technology of keeping a bunch of litchis in polythene packets, which are filled with oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen. This would certainly increase the shelf life of the perishable products for a period of at least 45 hours,” Mejio said.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Mejio said the marketability of litchis in the state is not fit and it requires a boost to give the maximum return to the growers. Shelf life of the fruit produced here is also very short.

“Since litchi is a highly perishable fruit, experts are burning the midnight oil to convince the farmers to embrace scientific poly packing. If the farmers go for a nitrogen pack, they will make huge profits. It is high time to popularise the technology of this system and the institute has launched measures to popularise the poly pack of litchi,” Mejio said.

He added that a team of scientists from National Litchi Research Institute, Mushahri headed by Nath and Purbe would make a whirlwind tour of the litchi-producing districts and regions to impress upon the growers hailing from far-flung districts of north Bihar, including Samastipur, Khagaria, Bhagalpur, Katihar, Vaishali, Sitamarhi, East Champaran and West Champaran, to choose and use the scientific technology of poly packing with nitrogen gas.