Ranchi, June 5: Ever wondered why a kilogram of litchi in your shopping bag costs as much as Rs 60 to Rs 80, though seasonal fruits are supposed to be cheaper?

The answer lies in a small pest and some big problems such as bad weather, water scarcity, rural poverty and tiny landholdings. The end result? Jharkhand’s litchi production of 27,000 tonne is less than last year’s harvest of 36,000 tonne, roughly a 25 per cent dip.

It has dashed all hopes of the state making its presence felt in India’s fruit basket. Now, litchi lovers must bank on exports from Bihar.

The litchi bug, Tessaratoma javanica, relentlessly sucked the fruit’s sap till it got wizened and dropped off. Medicinal sprays did not make a difference. Chemicals needed water to become effective, but lack of irrigation facilities rendered the sprays useless. Soaring temperatures, storms and short-term weather disturbances did not help matters, either.

Flowering of litchi begins from mid-March. Pollination takes place in April’s first quarter, with fruits starting to form. A full fruit forms in six to eight weeks.

April and May are crucial months. But this year, while bugs greedily devoured most buds, lack of water and abrupt storms shook many fruits off their branches prematurely.

Shivendra Kumar, director of ICAR-run Horticulture and Agriculture Research Programme (HARP) in Plandu, cited two reasons behind Jharkhand failing to produce sufficient litchis despite “congenial conditions”.

“First, only 2,000 hectare are under litchi cultivation, which is very low. Secondly, in summer, irrigation facilities are insufficient. Litchi is an expensive crop to grow, which poor farmers can’t afford. But if grown scientifically, no fruit can replace it in terms of financial returns. Unfortunately, litchi farming is very unorganised in our state. We need to develop the concept of commercial orchards,” he said.

Bihar — India’s biggest litchi producer — grows litchi on over 50,000 hectare. Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Tripura and a few southern states also grow substantial litchi. In comparison, Jharkhand’s produce is negligible.

Vikash Das, a senior scientist at HARP, admitted the poor numbers, but stressed that the state had “tremendous potential” in litchi cultivation.

“Jharkhand’s climate is its biggest plus. But this year, the litchi bug and dry heat throughout April and May resulted in low production. Good irrigation would have helped greatly,” he said. State horticulture director Prabhakar Singh, who maintained that “production is good in some places”, admitted that heat and bugs were negatives.

For the litchi lover, however, it seems that the fruit budget would have to stretch. Low production at home coupled with delayed arrival of litchis from Bihar caused prices to soar up to Rs 80. Organised big-ticket vendors Big Bazaar, Reliance, etc, which buy in bulk, are being able to sell at a slightly lower price than roadside vendors.

Officials are hoping that Bihar will bail them out with fresh produce by the first week of June.