Dragon fruit, which was imported before, is now being cultivated in the soils of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Andaman-Nicobar Islands. Growers have been cultivating the fruit on a large scale for the last few years, in India. It has become a good source of income for farmers in areas with low water and rocky soil. In Maharashtra, farmers of Nagar, Solapur, and Satara areas are cultivating the dragon fruit from foreign soil, as the demand for the fruit is high and the price received is suitable too.
In the fruit market of Pune’s market yard alone, 5 to 10 tons of dragon fruits come in every day and are sold at prices between Rs. 30 and Rs. 150, depending on the grade. The arrival of dragon fruits will increase further in the coming days, after which the price will decrease. Pandurang Supekar, a fruit trader in Pune’s Market Yard, said, “Dragon fruit has an attractive shape and colour. One fruit usually weighs between 100 and 600 grams.”
[ Rs.100 = €1.20 ]
Source: punekarnews.in