Muzaffarpur Shahi Litchi Orchards Bihar GI

Muzaffarpur district is India's largest litchi producing zone, growing the GI-protected Shahi variety of Litchi chinensis in large orchards on the alluvial plains of the Gandak-Burhi Gandak river belt. The Shahi litchi's exceptional sweetness, thin skin, and small seed develop in Muzaffarpur's specific microclimate of warm days and cool nights during fruit development in May-June, and the variety cannot be replicated in other growing areas. Muzaffarpur litchi is exported to Nepal, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, and the UK; the fruit's short post-harvest life of 3-5 days makes rapid cold-chain logistics critical, and the Bihar government has established packing houses with pre-cooling facilities at Muzaffarpur airport for the export season.