Kamalam Festival at Dilli Haat: Gujarat Govt’s initiative to help farmers connect directly with consumers

The Government of Gujarat organized a three-day Kamalam (Dragon Fruit) festival between 14-16th October at Dilli Haat where 22 farmers from Gujarat participated. Shri Rajbir Singh, Managing Director, NAFED, and Smt. Arti Kanwar, Resident Commissioner opened this festival yesterday by cutting the ribbon in the presence of Shri D.K. Parekh, MD, Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation Ltd in Dilli Haat. 

This festival served as the perfect opportunity for consumers to purchase Dragon fruit directly from the farmers producing them. Prominent artists from Kutch also performed at the festival.

Kamalam, also known as Dragon fruit, Pitaya Fruit, and Super Fruit, belongs to the cactus species. The name was changed from Dragon fruit to Kamalam in the month of January 2021 by the Gujarat government. The name change was inspired by the fruit’s lotus-like appearance with spikes and petals.

 In India, Kamalam is cultivated in Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. Gujarat however, has the largest share in Kamalam Fruit production at 35%.  Gujarat used to import this fruit initially but now has been exporting it in large numbers. Farmers in about 25 districts of the state are producing this fruit and have seen a considerable increase in their annual income.

 An increase in demand for Kamalam has led to an increase in Gujarat’s cultivation operations. Kamalam is preferred due to its taste, nutritional value, and medicinal properties. Due to favourable water, soil, and weather and with support from Government, Gujarat has become a Kamalam Hub.  The State government offers subsidies for cultivating Kamalam. June to November is the harvest season in Gujarat. In Gujarat, Kutch districts lead in Kamalam cultivation. Gujarat exports Kamalam to UAE, Maldives, Russia, and England.

 The Government of Gujarat intends to incentivize processing of the fruit to create more employment opportunities in rural areas through the Government of India’s flagship program of the Prime Minister Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PMFMES) in conjunction with the Government of Gujarat schemes in the sector.

 Kamalam is globally preferred due to its medicinal and antioxidant properties, it is low in calories and is also equipped with nutrients like iron, calcium, zinc, and potassium. It helps control diseases like cancer, diabetes, blood pressure, and cholesterol. 

Simultaneously, Kamalam will also be sold in the various outlets of NAFED in Delhi. 

–An article by Shreya Raolji