GUNTUR: Farmers in Palnadu district have switched to cultivating exotic fruits, especially dragon fruit, due to the rise in their demand. Cultivation of these fruits has increased to over 100 hectares in the district.
High temperature in the region has been favourable for the cultivation of these crops across the Palnadu district, including Atchampet, Karampudi, Macherla, Edlapadu, and Narasaraopet regions.
Speaking to TNIE, BJ Binni joint director of horticulture department in Palnadu district explained, “Since the pandemic, the consumption of dragon fruit has increased significantly, as people believe it is highly nutritious. This has enabled farmers to easily market their produce at reasonable prices. So they are not hesitating to invest Rs 8 lakh to Rs 20 lakh in cultivation.”
Further, farmers are also getting the Central government’s support through subsidies of around Rs 30,000 per hectare under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), he said.
According to officials, the flowering and fruiting of dragon fruit occurs three to five times between July and November every year, coinciding with the monsoon season. It takes nearly 35 days for harvesting the fruit after the flowering stage, said official.
The plant, native to southern Mexico and Central America, is grown all over the world. The two most common types of dragon fruit have bright red skin with green scales that resemble a dragon. The most widely available variety has white pulp with black seeds, and the less common variety has red pulp and black seeds. The fruit is a source of iron, magnesium, and fibre. It has an extremely-low calorie content and high nutrition.