Western UP will now be known for sugarcane as well as dragon fruit. The state government is running Horticulture Mission campaign to encourage farming other than traditional farming. Under this, the farmers here are cultivating dragon fruit in large quantities.
Sachin Chaudhary, a progressive farmer from Meerut, has left the sugarcane farming from generation to generation and started the cultivation of dragon fruit. Sachin has started this farming in Bhainsa village of Mawana area.
Sachin says that in April last year, he brought 1600 saplings from Gujarat and planted it in one acre. For this, 400 poles were erected in one acre and four saplings were planted on each pole like a cactus vine.
However, flowers have started growing on it and dragon fruit will also be produced in no time. Sachin told that it has cost about five lakh rupees to cultivate dragon fruit in one acre. The price of a piece of dragon fruit in the retail market ranges from 200 to 250 rupees.
Fruit will be produced from April to October. Dragon fruit plant has a lifespan of 15 to 20 years. Sachin says that from the fifth year onwards, he expects a potential income of around eight lakhs per annum.
At the same time, in view of the falling water level, Sachin has also taken special measures to save water. Sachin Chaudhary has used drip irrigation for irrigation in dragon fruit field.
This will not only save water but also save electricity. He told that after the production of dragon fruit, he will go to big mandis including Ghazipur mandi in Delhi to sell the fruit. There is every hope of getting a good price there.
District Horticulture Officer Gampal Singh says that the cultivation of dragon fruit is a good sign for the farmers of Meerut. As an incentive from the government, grants are also being given to the farmers doing horticulture farming.
Dragon fruit fruit is sold very expensive in the market, due to which the income of the farmers will increase significantly.
