Litchi: Muzaffarpur's Summer Treasure

Where and How Litchi Is Grown

Bihar's Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Samastipur, East Champaran and Sitamarhi grow the bulk of India's litchi. West Bengal (Malda, Murshidabad), Jharkhand, Uttarakhand (Dehradun, Ramnagar), Punjab (Pathankot) and Assam follow. Shahi and China are the main varieties. Because the fruit browns and loses moisture within days, growers and traders rely on fast trucks, pre-cooling and air freight; the government has run special parcel trains and air cargo for Muzaffarpur litchi.

• Muzaffarpur, BiharShahi Litchi hubAboutExplore
• ICAR – National Research Centre on LitchiMuzaffarpurAboutExplore

• INI Farms Pvt LtdExporter of bananas, pomegranates and grapes to about 35 countriesAboutExplore
• Freshtrop Fruits LtdAhmedabad · listed; grapes and pomegranate exporterAboutExplore
• KB Exports Pvt LtdMumbai · fresh fruit and vegetable exporter (KayBee)AboutExplore
• Sahyadri Farmers Producer Company LtdNashik · grapes, fruits and processingAboutExplore
• APEDAExport registration and residue control (GrapeNet, AnarNet, MangoNet)AboutExplore

Uses and Value Chain

Litchi is sold fresh in bunches or loose in baskets lined with leaves, and processed into juice, squash, pulp and canned litchi. Because the fruit loses its red colour and moisture within two or three days, traders rush it from Muzaffarpur to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad by road, rail and air. Small volumes are flown to the Gulf and Europe.

Quality and Handling

Buyers want bright red, unblemished fruit of good size with a small seed; Shahi has a strong rose aroma and sells at a premium over China, which is larger and later. Pre-cooling, sulphur treatment for colour retention and reefer transport are slowly improving shelf life.

Price Drivers

A heat wave or hailstorm in April–May causes fruit cracking and drop, which cuts supply; a good season can flood markets for a few weeks. Transport availability during the short harvest window matters more for litchi than almost any other fruit.

Litchi by State

Tap a state for its districts, markets, government buying and buyers.

GI-Tagged Products

Related: Mango · Banana · Grapes · Pomegranate · Apple · Orange · Papaya · Guava · Litchi · All crops · Soils.in for farmer help

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