Dragon fruit growers in Bogura district have started dreaming of success with farming as excellent growth of the trees is predicted surplus output this current season.
The local farmers are becoming more enterprising due to the good production and price of this valuable fruit. Many people have started seeing the face of success. The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) is regularly advising the farmers to increase the cultivation of this fruit. Anyone can become self-sufficient by cultivating dragon fruit in the backyard and fallow land.
In the gardens, dragon are hanging with innumerable beautiful flowers like white and yellow. As a result, they focus on amateur farming as well as commercial dragon cultivation.
An amateur farmer Sekender Ali of Kahaloo area of the district is dreaming with the farming as he has brought two bighas of land under dragon farming last three years back investing Tk 50 thousand. He has got a good profit last year and expecting to make a handsome profit this season, he said.
The farmers are expecting to sell fruits at Tk 250 to 350 per kg depending on the size and quality in the wholesale markets. Moreover, they are also selling grafts to the new farmers with a big amount.
Three to four more farmers have collected saplings one by one and planted them. They said that dragon tree saplings were distributed free of cost among 320 farmers of the district by Bogura Horticulture Center and Agriculture Office of the Department of Agricultural Extension.
They are now seeing the face of profit. The farmers are dreaming of a new colourful way to cultivate profitable dragon fruit.
Besides, at least five hundred trees could be planted on a bigha of land, said Department of Agriculture Extension Officers. The cactus dragon fruit tree blooms at night and spreads fragrance.
That is why it is called Knight Queen. The DAE is providing all assistance including advice to spread the cultivation of dragon fruit in remote areas.
Deputy Director of DAE Md Dulal Hossain said considering the various facilities including nutrition, the interest of amateur farmers as well as all classes of farmers in cultivating dragon fruit is increasing. However, it is better to cultivate dragon fruit in sandy, loamy soils. He further said that high yielding Bau Dragon-1 and Bau Dragon-2 are suitable for commercial cultivation.
