Farmers can earn good profits by cultivating dragon fruit.
Dragon fruit is also known as pitaya. It is a fruit of cactus species. It is more nutritious than other fruits. Dragon fruit looks like a pineapple on the outside. But from inside it looks like kiwi, its pulp is white in color and is full of small black seeds. This fruit is pink in color and has green lines on its outer skin, which looks exactly like a dragon. That is why it is known as dragon fruit.
Dragon fruit is a fruit of South America. Dragon fruit is cultivated in warm climates. The proper temperature required for ripening of the crop is 20 -36 degrees Celsius. Dragon fruit plant bears fruits at least 3-4 times in a season. Approximately 50-120 fruits are produced on a single plant. Dragon fruit is considered very beneficial for eyesight and skin moisture. Cultivation of this fruit is considered special because once money is invested in it, profits can be earned for many years.
This fruit is rich in nutrients
The price of this fruit is higher than other fruits. It helps in keeping the heart healthy. Farmers have left traditional farming and are attracted towards this farming. Use successful and improved varieties for good crop productivity and yield. Besides, many vitamins and minerals are also found in it, which are helpful in fighting diseases.
Varieties of Dragon fruit
There are mainly three types of varieties of dragon fruit, out of these three varieties, the farmer can produce any variety. The varieties of dragon fruit are as follows, 1. Pink colored fruit with white pulp, 2. Red colored fruit with red pulp, 3. Yellow colored flower with white pulp. Farmers can earn good profits by producing all these varieties.
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How to grow dragon fruit
It is cultivated normally. It can be grown in any type of soil, but loamy and sandy soil is considered better. Its plants are planted in the field at a distance of 5 hands. And like other crops, irrigation is done in it. After sowing, light irrigation is given to the plants, after that irrigation is done as and when required. It is mostly cultivated in the months of April to May, although it is a perennial plant.
Fertilizer and pesticides
Farmers should do timely weeding to protect the crop from weeds. Besides, fertilizers and other chemical pesticides can also be used in the field for good productivity and yield of the crop. While ploughing, the farmer can also use cow dung manure in the field, this keeps the fruits healthy. Special attention is paid to the plant when buds appear, because at that time there are more chances of disease.
How much can a farmer earn from dragon fruit cultivation
For dragon fruit cultivation, the farmer first has to invest in that cultivation i.e. at least Rs 8-9 lakh is invested by the farmer. This crop does not require much management. Farmers can earn good profits from this crop only after the second year of sowing. These days the price of dragon fruit is increasing in the markets.
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The price of dragon fruit in the market is Rs 200 -250 per kg. Farmers can earn huge profits by producing this fruit. Farmers do not need to take risks every year for the cultivation of this fruit. Once planted, it gives fruits for many years. Farmers are earning more profits from this crop compared to other crops; very little or no pesticides are used in its cultivation.
Farmers can earn Rs 5 lakh per acre in a year by cultivating dragon fruit. Once planted, it gives fruits for 30 -35 years. Now from this it can be estimated that the farmer can earn good profits in these years. It costs around Rs 9-10 lakh to prepare the field for dragon fruit crop. But the income from this can be more than Rs 1 crore.
