Dragon fruit cultivation in India: Government offers up to Rs 4.5 lakh per hectare to growers

In a major push for horticultural farmers wishing to expand into dragon fruit (or kamalam as it is known in Gujarat) production, the Gujarat government unveiled a financial support program on Friday with a total funding of up to Rs 10 crore. Farmers from the general community will be eligible for financial assistance of up to Rs 3 lakh per hectare under the scheme, while farmers from scheduled castes or scheduled tribes will be eligible for financial assistance of up to Rs 4.5 lakh per hectare. Dragon fruit, also known as pitahaya or strawberry pear in different parts of the world, is high in nutritional value and sells for Rs 100-150 per piece in retail markets in Gujarat cities. Horticulture farmers in the Kutch district had turned to dragon fruit cultivation and had made several success stories. P M Vaghasiya, Director of Horticulture for the Government of Gujarat, stated that the fruit, which was renamed Kamalam in 2021, was grown in the Kutch and Surendranagar districts of ...