Litchi Distress in Bihar: A Sour Taste for the Upcoming Elections

Muzaffarpur, Bihar - The “litchi seat” of Bihar is in distress as the yield of the special summer fruit is estimated to drop by around 50 per cent due to the vagaries of nature. This unfortunate turn of events has left farmers in Muzaffarpur sad, scared, and seething, and it may spill into the elections, as the plucking of litchis will coincide with the polling date — May 20.

Candidates on Tenterhooks

All 26 candidates in the fray here, especially the main ones — BJP’s Raj Bhushan Choudhary and Congress’s Ajay Nishad — are keeping their fingers crossed on what the farmers’ anger may bring to the electoral platter.

The Pride of Muzaffarpur

Muzaffarpur is the only place where GI (Geographical Indication) tag ‘Shahi litchis’ — known for their sweetness, subtle rosy fragrance, taste, extra juicy pulp and small seed — are grown. The fruit has fans across the globe.

The Litchi Crisis

Deep furrows line the foreheads of the cultivators at a time when everyone should have been discussing the ongoing elections. Litchi is a cash crop for them, providing extra bucks amid the farming of foodgrains.

“The abnormal heat this April has taken a toll. A huge chunk of the fruits dropped and those that survived have become stunted. I had plans to supply the fruits to Patna and use the money to buy a motorcycle but it will have to be postponed. The problem is that we have to do everything on our own. No government supports us and we have to fend for ourselves,” says Pramod Kumar, sitting with his friend Lalo Paswan, at his litchi orchard at Kanti in the constituency.

The Widespread Distress

The distress at the litchi production hub is widespread. Bhola Nath Jha, a top litchi producer of Muzaffarpur, who was once instrumental behind the now defunct Litchi Growers’ Association of Bihar, asserts that the state and central governments have not done anything for those who are cultivating the fruit.

The Government’s Role

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at an election rally in Muzaffarpur earlier this week, mentioned facilitating the GI tag for Shahi litchis. His comment has come under criticism from the farmers, who pointed out that such tags were useless unless the government facilitated forward and backward linkages.

The National Research Centre on Litchi

The National Research Centre on Litchi, established by the Union government in 2001, is trying to address the various issues pertaining to the fruit and its cultivation.

The Election Scenario

With the elections being held amid this scenario, people are lambasting the two main candidates, Nishad and Choudhary. Two-time BJP MP from Muzaffarpur Nishad switched over to the Congress after being denied a ticket. His father Jai Narain Prasad Nishad had won the seat four times.