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 upto 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.

Litchi grower Jha, who had received the award of 'Udyan Ratna' from the state government a few years back, said farmers have to grow high-rise creepers around the orchard or cover it with other dense leafy trees particularly on the western side to protect this hot-weather fruit from excessive heat. Efforts to keep the orchard cool as far as possible helps the fruit in getting normal size, sweetness, aroma and colour.

Jha said the abnormal rise in temperature has affected the size of the fruit this year, in general. Weight of each piece is only 14 to 15 grams whereas it should have been 20 to 25 gm. Litchi has the capacity to tolerate the temperature up to 38 degree but has crossed 40 degree in the last 15 days. The minimum humidity the fruit can sustain is 50, but it fell down to 17 to 20% during the pre-harvest period. That is why the traders of Mumbai have rejected the first consignment of litchi and have asked the growers to wait for five days more.

Plucking of litchi has started in most of the orchards. It is being sold at Rs 100 per 100 piece in the local market whereas it was only Rs 60 last year. 'China' variety is expected to give good return to the growers and traders but it does not have the aroma of Shahi variety. 'China' variety's harvesting is expected after a week. The litchi season will come to an end by June 15.

The NLRC is trying to extend this season up to July end but it might take another five years. Experiments with breeds from China and Thailand are going on for the last couple of years, NLRC scientists informed.

