Tezpur Litchi Festival 2025

100 Years of Tezpur Litchi

On 3rd June 2025, under the initiative of Rivtra and in collaboration with local litchi farmers of Tezpur, the inaugural Tezpur Litchi Festival was successfully launched. This event is a significant step in line with Rivtra’s mission to provide logistics and market linkage services to farmers, SMEs, and businesses across Assam and the Northeast. The festival received wholehearted support from the Sonitpur District Administration, NERAMAC, Assam Tourism, and various social and business organisations of Tezpur. Among the key supporters, the Indian Red Cross Society, Sonitpur District Branch, played a crucial role in making the event a success.

This year’s festival is particularly special as it marks 100 years of litchi cultivation in Tezpur. To honour this milestone, the event began with a ceremonial tribute to the legendary Shri Padmanath Gohain Baruah, a prominent Assamese literary figure and the first Chairman of the Tezpur Municipal Board. In 1924, he established Tezpur’s first litchi orchard at Paltan Pukhuri, laying the foundation for what has become a rich agricultural tradition in the region.

The main event on 3rd June featured a closed-door discussion on “Unlocking the Potential of GI-Tagged Tezpur Litchis – Opportunities & Challenges.” Experts, farmers, and stakeholders explored strategies to enhance production, maintain quality standards, and improve national and international market reach. The Tezpur Litchi received its Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2015, acknowledging its unique characteristics and cultural significance.

In addition to the discussion, the festival includes an Exhibition-cum-Sales event, a Buyer-Seller Meet, and guided tours of historic and commercial litchi orchards around Tezpur. Notable varieties on display include Bombaiya, Bilati, Shahi, Piyaji, and Rangiya, all known for their exceptional sweetness, high juice content, and aromatic quality. The exhibitors included Litchi farmers of Tezpur and Litchi processing units – namely Madhur, who served fresh Litchi Juices. An estimated Rs 30000/- worth of Litchis, Saplings & Juices were sold on the day of exhibition cum sale.

These activities will continue until 20th June 2025, providing ample opportunity for locals and visitors to experience the essence of the Tezpur litchi harvest.

Tezpur’s unique agro-climatic conditions—fertile alluvial soil, moderate monsoon temperatures, and traditional organic practices—make its litchis particularly prized. These fruits are large, rich in juice and nutrients, and low in seed size, making them ideal for fresh consumption as well as export. Recent years have seen successful exports to markets like the United Kingdom, reinforcing the commercial potential of this heritage crop.