Litchi Orchards Bring Fragrant Transformation to Lanjhta Village in Bilaspur

Success of the litchi plantation project has ushered in a transformation in Lanjhta Gram Panchayat of the Ghumarwin subdivision in Himachal's Bilaspur district.

The success further signals a transitional shift from traditional farming to commercial litchi cultivation, thanks to the HPSHIVA Project.

Once famous for producing seasonal fruits, the 13.5-hectare land with clusters of over 10,000 litchi saplings planted by 54 farmers is now filled with the fragrance of fruit-bearing litchi plants.

The initiative taken under Himachal Pradesh Subtropical Horticulture, Irrigation, and Value Addition (SHIVA) Project has facilitated integration of climate-resilient horticulture, modern irrigation and direct market access, improving farmers' livelihoods by reducing dependency on traditional crops.

This transformation began in the village during the 2019-20, when Lanjhta Gram Panchayat was selected for a 'Front Line Demonstration' (FLD) under the HPSHIVA Project and initially 500 litchi saplings were planted and following a positive response from farmers and the successful implementation of the project, an additional 9,505 saplings were planted during 2020-21 and 2021-22.

Officials from the state Horticulture Department are providing technical and scientific guidance to farmers. These efforts and facilities have largely relieved farmers of concerns regarding irrigation, regular care and monitoring of the plants.

A beneficiary farmer Prakash Chand, who has planted approximately 850 litchi saplings on his land recalls that at the time of planting, he was wary whether these saplings would eventually become a significant source of income but today the trees have started bearing fruit.

Another beneficiary, Lata Devi, who planted 834 litchi saplings, said commercial fruit cultivation -- specifically of litchi -- has opened up new avenues for economic self-reliance for many rural women like her and the trees started yielding high-quality fruit last year.

Bilaspur Deputy Commissioner Rahul Kumar said the project has demonstrated that the rural economy can be steered in a new direction and given fresh momentum when effective scheme implementation, modern technology and the hard work of farmers converge.