The Union commerce ministry plans to export at least 10 tonnes of litchi, grown in Muzaffarpur and adjoining areas, to US this year.

Exporting litchis abroad has come to a standstill since 1999. Agriculture Project and Processing Development Authority (APEDA), a wing of the commerce ministry, used to export litchis to European and Arabian countries.

Litchi growers export fruits on their own without government help. APEDA has now requested the National Research Centre for Litchi (NRCL), Muzaffarpur, to organise 10 tonnes of litchi for export.

Union agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh told The Telegraph that he has directed APEDA to explore ways with the help of the NRCL to resume exporting litchis. Officials at APEDA's regional office in Calcutta recently visited NRCL and requested authorities concerned to organise for litchis to be exported abroad.

"APEDA had been exporting litchi till 1999 but the trade received a severe jolt following loss of good quality fruits because of climatic changes and indifferent attitude of the authorities concerned," said Bhawani Shankar, a litchi grower in Muzaffarpur.

Radha said the state government had turned a blind eye to popular demands of litchi growers. Farmers remained deprived of lucrative returns of their products largely because of the government's failure to provide them suitable markets.

District magistrate Dharmendra Kumar said litchi growers in Muzaffarpur and its adjoining districts in North Bihar should be provided adequate platforms to send their produce to large indigenous markets in metropolitan cities and abroad. Dharmendra said he would chart out plans with APEDA to export quality litchis and mangoes. "The state government would also be requested to play a pivotal role to send litchi consignments to big markets and export it to foreign countries for lucrative returns," he added.

A few farmers like Bholanath Jha have been roped in to produce quality litchis for export. Bholanath said APEDA officials had requested him to provide quality litchis for export. He has bought thousands of polypropylene bags to cover the fruits and shield them from sunburn and pest attacks.

An APEDA team is likely to arrive in Muzaffarpur for a week by May 10 to train farmers before plucking the export consignment. The produce will be transported to Calcutta using special vehicles with temperature control facility. The consignment will then be shipped to the United States.

Shahid Chourdhary, who owns litchi orchards in Mustafur village under Kanti block, said: "Plucking litchis might start from May 15. The heat spell has turned the fruits' skins light pink. If it rains in a day or two or easterly wind blows, the fleshy tissue will be filled with juicy pulp."