<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>The ongoing heat wave condition and drought have posed a serious threat to the production of litchi, a mouth-watering summer fruit, in Pabna district.</b></span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Pabna’s Iswardi upazila is known as one of the leading litchi production zones in the country. But this year, farmers and traders are fearing losses as small litchi pods are falling from the trees due to the prevailing heat wave.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At the beginning of this season, litchi farmers had expected a bumper production of litchi but 50% of buds had fallen due to the heavy rains with hails in the middle of Chaitra (Bangla) month.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the other hand, due to the extreme heat at the beginning of summer, a large part of the litchi pods are now falling.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If summer heat continues, the litchi farmers have to count a huge loss this year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Besides, the wholesale traders who had bought the orchards with the sprouting of trees have become worried over possible losses this season.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), this year, a total of 4,721 hectares of land have been brought under litchi cultivation and among these, 3,150 hectares are in Ishwardi upazila of the district.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">They also set a target to produce 48,801 metric tonnes of litchi this year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">During a recent visit to some litchi orchards, the UNB correspondent found that at the beginning of the month of Falgun, there were enough buds coming in each litchi tree. Seeing a lot of buds on trees, the traders bought the orchards at a higher price in advance.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But due to the ongoing drought and untimely rains with hailstorm at the end of Chaitra, most of the buds have been damaged.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mirajul Sheikh, a litchi grower of Ishwardi upazila, said about 40-50 percent litchi buds were destroyed during hailstorm but now a large portion of litchi pods are dropping due to the prevailing heat wave.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Manirul, a trader, said he had bought a litchi orchard at a cost of Tk 25 lakh but he is too frustrated. He is now doubtful whether he will be able to sell litchi worth Tk 10 lakh.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Though the DAE officials suggested the farmers to spray water and continue irrigation but farmers said it is not possible to spray water in vast tract of land that was brought under litchi cultivation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">However, the DAE officials are still expecting bumper production this year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sheikh Mehedi, a litchi grower and trader, said the biggest economic activity of the farmers of Ishwardi upazila depends on litchi production. Farmers of the upazila will be severely affected if they don’t get expected output .</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jamal Uddin, deputy director of Pabna DAE, said this year, litchi trees saw profuse flowering and if litchi comes from half of those it will be huge, reports UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">However, some litchi are being damaged due to drought and the current heat wave.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Farmers are being suggested to spray water on the upper side of the litchi trees and irrigate the lands, he added.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/fas</div>