Parsa is likely to record a bumper mango and litchi harvests this year amid nominal impact of April wind storms.

The district is likely to produce 3,000 tonnes of mangoes worth Rs150 million this season, while the litchi output is expected to reach 400 tonnes worth Rs20 million, according to the District Agriculture Development Office, Parsa. Output of jackfruit is also expected to rise to 140 tonnes worth Rs4.20 million.

Shyam Kishor Prasad Kurmi, a horticulture assistant at the office, said the fruit output is expected to rise significantly this season due to favourable weather. “In the previous years, storms damaged fruits during the flowering and premature period, but the weather has been favourable this year,” Kurmi said.

Mango and litchi are produced on 300 hectares and 50 hectares, respectively, in the district.

Kurmi said Gadi, Bahuarwabhata, and Kauwa Ban Kataiya are

the major pocket areas for mango and litchi. “Small-scale farmers who plant 10-12 trees are more

in number compared to large-scale producers,” he said. “Compared to districts in the eastern region, commercial mango farming happens on a smaller scale in Parsa.”

The district produces mango species like Malda, Bombay and Kalkaitya. Of late, the farmers are being attracted towards Amrapali and Mallika species of mangoes, which give higher yield.

Kurmi said fruits production in the district could rise further if the government provided high-quality saplings at subsidised rates.