Gauli makes Rs. 1.6 million income selling dragon fruit in a year

Tanahu, July 23: A farmer Kalpana Gauli of Vyas municipality-5 in the district earned Rs 1.6 million selling dragon fruit last year. 

Gauli made such income selling dragon fruits produced from 2,100 plants cultivated in nine ropanis of land. She said her family is swamped with works of picking and selling the dragon fruits from Asar to Mangsir months. 

Registering a firm 'Ma Ambe Alaukik Agriculture Farm', they started commercial dragon fruit farming by bringing saplings from Hyderabad, India in 2079 BS. The samplings were planted in nine ropanis of land taken on lease for 20 years, she explained.

Gauli shared that they pay Rs 20,000 per month as rent, adding they have expected selling dragon fruits worth two million rupees this year. The tropical fruit can be harvested for six months from Asar. Gauli picked 35 kg of dragon fruits in the first lot, while 1,000 kg each in the second lot and third lot last year. 

Most of the fruit is sold from the farm, she mentioned, adding they sell the remaining dragon fruits to the fruits and vegetable vendors of Damauli. The fruit rich in fibres and antioxidants is consumed mostly in the district. It is sold at Rs 500 to 700 per kg, according to her. 

The students from schools and colleges, teachers, locals as well as government employees, representatives of different organisations visit the farm to garner information about the farming of dragon fruit, which relatively new in this district.

The fruit with its origin in Southern Mexico has spread across many countries, including Nepal, in the world. In Mexico, it is called 'pitaya', and some have even given it a name- 'strawberry pear'.  (RSS)