Mirzapur: In recent years, dragon fruit has been popularized in the Indian public through television shows. When Mirzapur’s Ramji Dubey learned about the fruit, he did not like it because of its Chinese origin. But now, he is popular for cultivating the same fruit in India.

People are attracted to his farms and wait for months for his plants to bear fruits. The dragon fruit has many health benefits because of which his farms have become a place of study for doctors. 

Health benefits of dragon fruits

Indian environment is not suitable for the cultivation of dragon fruits. Therefore, Ramji had to persevere through a wait of many months to actually see any positive results of his efforts. He acquired 1110 saplings from Vietnam, Hyderabad and Kolkata. 

An interesting fact about dragon fruits is that once the seed blooms into a healthy plant, they remain fertile enough to give fruits for 15-20 years. The harvest period is May-June and November-December. A cold weather is more suitable for the crops, and they start to produce poor quality fruits in extreme heat. 

Health-conscious people and vegans love to devour this fruit. The availability of this fruit in Indian market has made it cheaper and easy to consume. It can be used in various forms like in salads, jams, jellies, and shakes. The natural oxidants present in the fruit help in controlling the blood sugar levels of the body. 

Increasing income

Ramji shares that due to good rainfall in the months of April and May, his crops bore good quality dragon fruits. He expects to grow 100 quintals of fruits by the end of this year which will earn him around 20 lakh rupees.

Expenses on one acre of land

One acre of land has the capacity to produce around 7 quintals of fruits. Around 4 to 5 lakhs are spent on just one hectare of land. On an average, each plant bears 14-15 dragon fruits. 

The season of harvesting is approaching, and he hopes to grow more fruits at the end of the year. The health benefits of the fruit increase during the winter season. 

Ramji places poles of different sizes in his entire field to give support to the fresh vines of his plants. Adding the cost of the poles and grills, Rs 1000-2000 are spent on one single sapling. 

This method allows Ramji to grow healthier fruits. Once the flowers bloom, their brightness indicates the good quality of the fruit. 

Dragon fruit is sold at a price of Rs 200 to 250 per kilograms in the Indian retail market.