Heatwave causes 40% damage to crops in Shahi litchi, Muzaffarpur |

There is many a slip between a cup and the lip. This proverb holds true of Shahi litchi crop in Muzaffarpur district this year. The crop, which was developing in a normal way till a month back due to favourable weather conditions, has been damaged up to 40% in general due to abnormal rise in temperature, hot westerly wind, total absence of rain and sharp fall in humidity just 20 days prior to its harvesting.

Fruit harvesting has been delayed by a week and if the growers wait for another three to five days more, it might assume the normal reddish colour and its pulp may gain more weight because of the easterly wind which has started blowing since Saturday morning. This is for the first time in the last 15 years that no rainfall has been recorded in the district in May so far.

While moving in Jhapaha orchard of Bholanath Jha on Saturday morning, the principal scientist of National Litchi Research Centre, Muzaffarpur, S K Purve said 40% of crop has been burnt by heat wave in Bochaha-Mushahari belt as the absentee orchard owners could not adopt proper safety measures to save their crops from excessive heat. On the other hand, he was satisfied to see bunches of normal sized litchi resting on the ground. This, he said, was only because of the constant care taken by Jha to save the fruit. He said in such orchards, one quintal of litchi is possible from each tree. Adopting scientific methods for the growth of the crop never goes unrewarded, Purve remarked.

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