Started cultivating ‘dragon fruit’, earning millions every year
A progressive farmer from Wav village in Kamrej tahsil of Surat district, who has made a different experiment in farming, has started cultivating ‘fruit of the dragon fruit’ of Central America for the last three years. After investing only once in this crop, it can generate income for about 25 years compared to conventional farming.
Three years ago, 30-year-old Kisan Jigar, a resident of Vav village in Kamrej, started cultivating dragon fruit in three bighas. He explained that the dragon fruit is a type of cactus vine. 8 to 10 fruits are obtained from one plant. These fruits weighing 100 to 300 grams get 200 to 400 rupees per kg in the season. Dragon fruit plants have to support. Therefore, the farmer’s liver has constructed the pillars of cement and planted it in the field.
Girish Bhai, father of Kisan Jigar, also assisted in this work. Under Girish’s guidance, in three Bigha farms, Farmer Jigar started new farming in 2015 by planting 300 thousand plants (nursery) of Dragon Fruit. During this time, other farmers of the village used to make jokes (laughs) of liver and their father. Despite this, he did not shy away from dragon fruit farming. Eventually, father-son planted 751 cement (RCC) pillars in three bighas of land. He ordered 3,000 wells of dragon fruit from the nursery of Bharadia village of Surat and sowed four dragon fruit plants per pillar.
He said that usually 20 months after sowing, the fruit of the dragon fruit is ready. Nine months after sowing, fruit production started from their farm. He used organic fertilizer instead of chemical fertilizers, while also avoiding the use of pesticides. The farmer explained that because of the cactus species, dragon fruit rarely needs water.
There is no risk of grazing or pests. Due to the irrigation through the drip method, it saves a lot of water. In the last three years, the first year is expected to earn five lakh, second year 7 lakh and this time around 8 lakh. He told that earlier farmers used to laugh at father and son, the same farmers today do not get tired of praising me by watching the fruit of the dragon fruit.
The harvest is ready in the monsoon
In the monsoon dragon fruit is ready. Once sown, production can be achieved for 25 years. In the four months of the monsoon, the fruits ripen every 40 days. In the first phase of the three Bigha lands, more than one and a half tonnes of fruit comes out. One fruit weighs on average 100 to 300 grams. There is a price of Rs 200 to Rs 100 per kg.
Dragon fruit plant from nursery in Bhardiya village of Surat
Farmer Jigar said that the dragon fruit plant (nursery) was shipped to a nursery located in Bhardiya village of Mandvi tehsil in Surat district. In the field, RCC poles were buried by putting fertilizers and pesticides in pits of 2 to 2 diameter. The distance from pole to pole is 10 feet. In three bigha, 3000 plants were planted by poles. The entire field is irrigated with drip method.
Dragon fruit is beneficial for fitness
According to experts, the delicious fruit of the pink color is considered to be beneficial for dragon fruit health. It has a large amount of antioxidant properties. In addition, vitamin C, protein and calcium are also abundant. The use of this fruit has been considered beneficial in many diseases.