Litchi producing states in india

Litchi Fruit Farming Introduction of Litchi Fruit:- Litchi is a one of the subtropical evergreen table fruit grown in India. This fruit is native to china and introduced in India at the end of 17 th century. India is a no.2 producer of Litchi fruit next to China. In India, Bihar is no.1 producer of Litchi fruit. This fruit is very famous for its pleasant flavour and pulp. This fruit is being consumed as table, dried and canned fruit. Its juice is an excellent source of vitamin ‘C’, protein, calcium and phosphorous. This fruit belongs to the family of “Sapindaceae” and genus of “Litchi”. Health benefits of Litchi Fruit:–The following are the uses and health benefits of Litchi Fruit. • L itchi has anti-cancer properties. • Litchi normalizes the blood pressure and heart rate thereby protecting against strokes. • Litchi keeps the digestion strong, maintains a clean stomach, improves appetite and cures heartburn and burning sensation in the stomach. • Litchi is a wealthy source of phosphorus and magnesium which supports powerful bones • Litchi is an excellent source of Vitamin C and is also a good source of B complex vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and folates. • Ligonol is a low molecular weight polyphenol found abundantly in litchi fruit. Oligonol has several anti-oxidant and anti-influenza virus actions. It also helps to improve blood circulation, reduces weight and protects the skin. • Litchi is quite low in calories, contains no cholesterol and is rich in die...

ADVERTISEMENTS: It is generally consumed as a fresh fruit. Litchi fruits has no competition from other fruits as it comes in the market in May-June and faces no marketing problem. Origin : Litchi originated in southern China. It has been in cultivation in China for thousands of years. Litchi is very fastidious to soil and climatic requirements hence, the spread to other areas has been slow. In India litchi was brought from Burma in Bengal during 17th century. In Punjab, litchi was brought by Mahajan family in 1920 from Dehradum to Pathankot. Area and Production : It occupies an area of 71.9 thousand hectare in India with annual production of 423.4 thousand M. tormes. Bihar is the largest producer of litchi followed by West Bengal, Western U.P. and by Punjab. It is planted in submontanous tracts of northern and eastern India since, it likes mild climate with sufficient humidity. In Punjab it occupies in area of 1528 hectares only and produces 21262 MT. Uses: ADVERTISEMENTS: Litchi fruit is mostly eaten fresh. Litchi squash is a refreshing drink prepared from litchi juice. Litchi juice is preserved for using it as such. Sun dried or oven dried fruits are known as litchi nut these are popular with Chinese. The whole fruit can be frozen for later use. Litchi is a rich source of sugars and minerals like Calcium, Phosphorus and vitamins particularly riboflain (Vit B 2). The TSS may range between 15 to 20 percent. Botany: Litchi is an evergreen tree belonging to Sapindacae family...

India produces around 6 Lakh tonnes of Litchi mainly in Bihar, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and Jharkhand. Bihar alone accounts for nearly half of the country’s total litchi output. This is one of the fruits of India whose domestic marketing as well as export potential are yet to be tapped. We note here that some Litchi grown in India is of high quality and high pulp-to-stone ratio (makes it suitable for exports). Further, Indian litchi is harvested between Mid-April to June; when good quality litchi is not available from other countries such except some countries such as Thailand. On the other hand, other Litchi exporters such as Madagascar, South Africa and Australia harvest Litchi in November / February while Israel in October. Thus, Indian litchi does not need to compete with the other exporters. But the problem is of paucity of infrastructure, cold stores and other components of cold chain management. Main varieties of Litchi include Shahi, Elaichi, Rose scented, Bombai, Purbi, Calcuttia etc.

Click here to view the short film on litchi Litchi has a special place among the fruits by virtue of it’s attractive colour and distinct taste. India ranks second in the world in production of Litchi production after China. In India, Litchi is grown in almost 83 thousand hectares of area with a production of 5.75 lakh metric tonnes. Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand are the major litchi growing states of the country. The litchi requires specific climate for flowering and fruiting. Thus its commercial cultivation is limited few states located in certain latitudes. In the northern states of India, litchi fruits mature in the months of May and June. Contrary to this, the litchi matures in the months of December and January in some of the non-traditional litchi growing regions of South India. Litchi is grown as home stead trees or as isolated trees in coffee plantations in parts of Coorg in Karnataka, Waynad in Kerala and Lower Puleny hills, Kallar and Burliar of Nilgiri hills and some parts of Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu. The exact area of litchi in this region in not well known. As per estimated there are around 10,000 litchi trees in Coorg region of Karnataka. There are about 2000 plants of Litchi trees in Tamil Nadu. Some of the trees are more than 50 years old. These litchi trees produces flowers in the month of August –September and fruits mature in the month of December and January. These trees belong to Shahi, Rose Scented, Early Seedless...