RAJSHAHI, Oct 23, 2018 (BSS) – Farmers are cultivating dragon, a delicious
but non-conventional fruit in Bangladesh, along with some other high-valued
fruits in Rajshahi region including its vast Barind tract for the last couple
of years.
Number of commercial growers of the cash crop is gradually increasing as
they are getting lucrative price of their produce in the markets.
Abdul Matin, a farmer of Gofanagar village under Mohadevpur upazila in
Naogaon district, has set an instance of becoming successful through dragon
farming in the area.
After getting technical support from local horticulture centre, Abdul
Matin initiated the farming on August 10, 2016. Already, he has started
getting fruit.
Now, there are 50 dragon plants in his orchard. Apart from, he has 65
malta and five orange trees, five lemon, seven papaya, two litchi and three
coconut trees as intercropping. On the vacant lands, he has been cultivating
turmeric and arum to get additional profit.
Agriculturist Mustafizur Rahman, Additional Director of Department of
Agriculture Extension, said prospect of dragon is very much bright in the
region including its vast Barind tract as it has started gaining popularity
both at farmer and consumer level for its high commercial and nutritional
values.
In Rajshahi markets, the high valued fruit is being sold at Taka 550 to
600 per kilogram while in posh markets of capital Dhaka it is being sold at
Taka 700 to 800. But, the price is beyond purchasing capacity of the
commoners.
More than 125 demonstration plots of the cash crop were established in
Rajshahi, Natore, Pabna and Bogra districts and the national figure is more
than 1,050.
Integrated Quality Horticulture Development Project (IQHDP) of the
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) is imparting necessary training to
the farmers on making the dragon farming more profitable and sustainable.
SM Quamruzzaman, project director of IQHDP, told BSS that there are
tremendous prospects of growing dragon fruit in different districts of the
country as its topography and environment is suitable for the farming.
He informed that 43 horticulture centres in 35 districts are extending
technical know-how to the farmers and supervising the demonstration plots
regularly as the cultivation of dragon fruit is easier than many other crops.
“We have some foreign fruits successfully produced in Bangladesh. Dragon
fruit is one of them,” said Quamruzzaman. Very recently it was imported to
Bangladesh by Germplasm Centre of Bangladesh Agricultural University in
Mymensingh and profitably cultivated in some districts.
The plant is nothing but an evergreen cactus, which reaches up to 1.5 to
2.5 meters high with leafless thin vine-like branches. It needs support to
hold the vine upward. It reproduces from seeds and from branches (cuttings).
But preferable to grow from branches because growth of dragon plant from seed
germination is found to be comparatively slower.
Compost in loamy soil is favourable for growing. Over-watering should be
avoided as it may cause fruit-splitting, flower-dropping, yellowing of the
plants, and slow shoot development.
Regular mulching around the plants is also important along with providing
dynamic lifter and dolomite every alternate month (100 g per plant). The
plant blooms only at night, which can affect the process of pollination. In
such a case, its growth may be encouraged with the hand pollination
technique.
Narrating its salient features Quamruzzaman said dragon fruit is suitable
for everyone to eat. Flesh and seeds are edible parts and they are eaten
altogether. It supplies fiber which is digestive and helpful for healthy
liver. The rest portion of the fruit includes carbohydrate and water.
A fresh fruit keeps a person fresh and well fit for a long time. Dragon
fruit is also used in beverage, making juice and wine and as a flavoring
agent in various foods and drinks. It contains a lot of vitamin C, minerals
and other nutrients.
Dragon fruit contains more than 3 times the amount of vitamin C found in
carrots. The fruit has a leathery and leafy skin with a flesh that is creamy
textured and studded with lots of tiny, black and crunchy seeds throughout.
It is mildly sweet tasting and especially low in calories. The seeds are
digested only if chewed. The flavonoids in dragon fruit lower the risk of
heart disease and high blood pressure. It also reduces oxidative stress and
artery stiffness as found in animal studies and therefore is thought to
prevent complications associated with diabetes. The high antioxidant levels
lower the risk of many types of cancer.