Dragon fruit cultivation flourishes in Nawalparasi

By Our Correspondent,Kawasoti, Feb. 10: With the initiation of dragon fruit farming in Kawasoti-17, Nawalparasi, the attraction of farmers towards this fruit has increased. The farmers are encouraged towards fruit cultivation as it gradually spread across the country. 

Nabaraj Subedi, a local teacher who left the job to start dragon fruit farming three years ago, had expanded it in several places like Gaindakot, Debchuuli and Madhyabindu Municipality. Some 200 farmers also were cultivating dragon fruit in 800 bighas of land. Subedi said the farming would expand in about 4,000 bighas of land.

He has a firm 'Om Organic Agriculture Firm' for the business. Initially, he had started the cultivation of dragon fruit on five bighas of land with all the land on lease. "Three years after he established the firm cultivation of the fruit started. 

I invested about 500,000 rupees for the business," he said. Seven persons work in his firm to take care of the fruit. 

Subedi said he invested for the fruit cultivating business observing opportunities of handsome earnings in it. Dragon fruits usually blooms from May to August and gets ready in a month. He said fruits can be picked up to six times in a season. 

At present, dragon fruit is being traded in the Nepali market for Rs. 500 to Rs. 800 per kg. 

The farmers said that the fruits yield starts from the end of the first year, but from the commercial point of view, farmers can get income only from the second year.

"It’s a good opportunity for the youths who love to visit international labour marker for earning opportunity," he said, adding that huge opportunity lay in agriculture. 

He said that sometimes if we do not get reasonable price in the market, we will not take the investment but if we can sell it in the season, we will get a good income. Subedi said that if the government initiates on adjusting fruit and vegetable prices, there would be better opportunities in it.

Laxmi Kumal, another farmer who has been working for the past one year, said that working on dragon fruit cultivation was easy. Agricultural Knowledge Centre chief Gopal Lamichhane said that the office was planning to provide training to the farmers who cultivate dragon fruit.