Bad weather sours litchi traders' hopes

Expectations of a bumper harvest have been scorched by unpredictable weather for litchi traders. Traders and exporters had traveled down to Muzaffarpur town in Bihar, one of the highest producers of the luscious fruit in the country, from New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Kolkata, hoping to cash in on a good crop. Expectations of the best yield in nearly nine years also drew businessmen from Kochi, Goa and Chennai for the first time.