How Greed Wilted Bihar's Shahi Litchi

The delicate litchi from the Mithila region is facing neglect, climate risks and chemical abuse

- Sayantan Bera

Plants whisper, you need ears to listen. That's what Norman Borlaug, a plant breeder and Nobel Peace laureate who saved billions from starvation, used to tell his students. Borlaug's words ring hard as one steps into the orchards of the Mithila region of Bihar, spread across Samastipur and Muzaffarpur districts. This region is renowned for its rose-floral scented Shahi litchis.

On a sultry summer forenoon, an orchard is still a balmy place to be at. Late May, the fields are abuzz. Contractors and traders supervise workers including underage children, as they scale giant trees, some as tall as 20m, to pluck ripe, crimson-red fruits. These are carried as head loads to another group, mostly women, who sort the fruit in bunches with stems and leaves on. It is easy to fall for the tranquil charm of the harvest season. The reality spills on enquiry, like a riches-to-rags tale.

A tropical delicacy known as a symbol of romance, litchis travelled from China via Myanmar and Indian states such as Assam and West Bengal to Bihar, a journey that took place around 300 years ago.

The fruit prospered in the fertile, silt-rich soil of the state, patronized by local elites and landlords. A sense of pride and cultural heritage is attached to its cultivation. But underneath its gorgeous canopies, the orchards are literally on a trial.