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

Published Jul 2, 2022

Tridge summary

The Gujarat government has launched a financial support program to encourage horticultural farmers to expand into dragon fruit production, offering subsidies of up to Rs 3 lakh per hectare for general farmers and up to Rs 4.5 lakh per hectare for scheduled caste or scheduled tribe farmers. The government has allocated a total of Rs 10 crore for this initiative. In addition, funding of up to Rs 50 lakh is available for overall horticulture development, covering on-field improvements. The subsidies will be distributed directly to farmers' bank accounts. The government's decision to renaming dragon fruit as 'Kamalam' and the significant financial benefits it has brought to farmers in Kutch district has led to this incentive, aiming to decrease reliance on imports and tap into export potential.

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Original content

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 ...

Source: Krishi Jagran