Fortune favours dragon fruit farmers in Rajshahi, Bangladesh

Dragon fruit cultivation has grown in popularity in recent years as a lucrative cash crop that has been improving the fortunes of many farmers in the Rajshahi region, including its vast Barind tract. Commercial farming of dragon fruit, a cactus species fruit, originally from Central America, South America, is nowadays common in Southeast Asia and China. Shafiul Islam Mukta, a resident of Godagari upazila, said he has planted three dragon fruit orchards on 52 bigha of land in Gogram and Matikata areas. He earned Tk27 lakh last year and has sold dragon fruits at Tk200-400 per piece based on size, quality and colour this season. Speaking on the production cost he said around Tk2.60 lakh was required for dragon farming on one bigha of land. Another farmer Asadul Islam Helal has established himself as a new successful entrepreneur by engaging in dragon fruit farming in the Barind area, Helal, of Bidirpur village under Godagari upazila, had planted some dragon seedlings around six years ...