Under the National Agricultural Development Scheme, the horticulture department has decided to provide assistance to farmers for the cultivation of Dragon Fruit a.k.a Kamalam. Farmers from many talukas of Vadodara have submitted their applications to take advantage of this scheme. In areas like Kutch and Central Gujarat, cultivation of the lotus fruit also known as Dragon fruit has started.
Taking into account the nutritious benefits of this fruit, the horticulture department of the state decided to provide assistance to the agricultural entrepreneurs who are willing to cultivate the lotus fruit under the criteria of the scheme.
Yogeshbhai Patel, horticulture officer, Deputy Director, Horticulture, Vadodara, stated that until now, this fruit was not included in the horticulture department’s assistance schemes but now new rules have been framed for the assistance of the farmers cultivating this crop.
Maximum 2 hectares of land are eligible for assistance for Dragon Fruit cultivation. A maximum of Rs. 1.25 lakhs that is 50% of the decided rate are eligible for assistance under the scheme.
He also stated that in the first year of launching an aid scheme for the cultivation of this crop itself, about 10 farmers of Karjan, Dabhoi, Waghodia, and Padra talukas have applied for assistance.
Harmanbhai Patel of Nana Habipura village in Dabhoi taluka has started the cultivation of this fruit and has achieved success. People from the neighboring areas have bought the fruit from him.
It is said that in order to cultivate this fruit, a structure of cement piles has to be built, hence the initial cost to cultivate this crop is high and the crop takes almost 3 years to be ready for cultivation. So, without assistance, only big farmers could afford it but now under this scheme, farmers who are not that financially capable, can afford to cultivate this fruit too.
Written By: Shailee Patel.
