Muzaffarpur: There is hope of a bumper litchi harvest in north Bihar this year, if the quality of flowers in bloom are any indicator.

Cool winds at night and other prevailing weather conditions here augur well for litchi and farmers are expecting a bumper crop.

National Research Centre for Litchi (NRCL) director Vishal Nath said the current temperature and humidity will help male and female flowers for proper nuts.

If the climate support continues, each litchi fruit will weigh over 30gm this year and litchi lovers can look forward to good quantity and quality of their favourite Shahi and China varieties.

Farmers are being educated and advised to water the trees once day temperatures rise in the days to come. Farmer should now cleanse litchi orchards and remove all dirt to keep insecticides at bay, Vishal said.

Training of farmers and dissemination of technology to them has also helped improve quality of produce.

In addition to Shahi and China varieties of litchi, two other varieties - Longia and Bidana - are being cultivated and popularised. These will boost fruit production further, Vishal said.

Sources said 2.45 lakh tonnes of litchi fruits were cultivated in over 30,000 hectares in north Bihar districts last year. Litchi is cultivated in 10,000 hectares in Muzaffarpur and it's adjoining areas, said Bholanath Jha, a litchi-grower. This year, production is likely to rise by 20 per cent. The production would then be over 3 lakh tonnes, being planted in 35,000 hectares.

Insecticide subsidy

Farmers are unhappy with the changing climatic condition and want scientists from the National Research Centre for Litchi to come forward to guide them and they have failed to increase the shelf life of the tropical fruit.

A delegation of litchi farmers will meet Union agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh next week to seek help to facilitate insecticides at subsidised rates.