In the coastal areas of India, crops like peanuts, rubber, paddy and coconut often dominate the majority of land. With time, Dragon fruit cultivation has also made its place in the croplands of farmers in India, especially in Dakshina Kannada. A farmer of Belthangady in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka is harvesting dragon fruit plants on his four acres of land. The farmer named Antony saw the rising opportunity of dragon fruit cultivation and so he decided to cut down his four acres of rubber plantation to plant dragon fruit. The plantation has reportedly started yielding results in one year. Around Rs 40 lakh has been spent on levelling the four acres of land, planting trees, electric wire fencing around the garden, drip irrigation and other works. Antony got about 30 tons of dragon fruit in the first harvest.
Antony says that dragon fruit crops do not require the same amount of care as other crops. While talking to Local18, he says it is enough to pluck the weeds growing at the base of the plant with a timely supply of water and fertiliser. In the case of nut plants, you have to wait at least four years to get the yield, while it is possible to get the yield within two years after planting the dragon fruit, he added.
Antony is not only growing dragon fruit, but also Rambutan crops in his lands. He has also planted pineapple plants at the base of dragon fruit. Traders from Bangalore, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Mangaluru usually visit his plantations to buy dragon fruit. It is taken at Rs 150 per kg, while the current market price is Rs 350 per kg.
Dragon Fruit cultivation has started in Thiruvananthapuram too. Vijayan Pillai and Ratnakaran Pillai were reportedly the first to start cultivating dragon fruit on an industrial basis. After the success of dragon fruit cultivation in Thannichal, Kerala, the farmers decided to opt for this farming. Kerala Finance Minister KN Balagopal also visited this farm earlier.
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