The recent rains experienced in Dehradun have affected the litchi crop in the city. Due to the rains experienced in the past couple of days, those in the business of harvesting and selling litchis have quickened the harvest lest the crop be infested. It is believed that rains experienced after the fruit ripens increases the risk of the litchis being infested.
Due to this the traders are harvesting the crop even though they know that the increased supply will cause a drop in the rate of the fruit.
The Doon valley is famous for its litchis. The fruits from here are not only sold in the local market but also supplied to other states and exported abroad. litchi cultivation is one of the major sources of seasonal employment for a considerable number of people in this region.
Fruit seller Mohit Kumar said, “litchi cultivation is an important source of income for us even though it is seasonal”.
litchi cultivation provides seasonal employment for a lot of people in Dehradun. At the time when the litchi is harvested for the first time and is available in the market its rate touches the sky going upto Rs 140-150 per kg.
The current market rate of litchi is Rs 60-70 per kg. However, the rate is coming down due to the rains, which is a cause of concern for the orchard owners and traders. Rain is vital when the fruit is unripe but rains experienced after the ripening of the fruit are not considered conducive.
Fruit seller Javed Siddiqui said, “We earn a good profit when the litchi during the initial days when litchi is brought to the market but subsequently its rate decreases due to rains because the rains spoil this fruit and after that supply increases and the demand of this fruit decreases”.
A litchi orchard owner, Irshad Faridi said, “Rain is a very important requirement for the fruit to ripen. However, rains after the the fruit ripens are bad for the crop. Due to the rain being experienced since the past few days, we have hastened the harvest to prevent loss from spoilage. The rates are coming down but despite this we are harvesting litchi because rains will totally damage the crop so it is better to sell it cheaper than lose the entire crop,” he said.