A beautiful dragon fruit orchard is now blooming on the banks of the lake, where it was thought that even grass would not grow due to the rising tide and the threat of flooding. Kunnandisseril Nizam and his wife Jasina of Arattupuzha are busy harvesting a bumper crop despite all the adverse conditions on the banks of the Kayamkulam lake. They have already harvested about 600 kg of dragon fruit from their orchard in this year’s harvest, which began in mid-March.

The State Horticulture Mission- Kerala, which supports farmers from seed to market, has been implementing the expansion of the cultivation area of exotic fruit varieties in Kerala for years. Dragon fruit is the main exotic fruit included in the project. Although farmers in Kerala were initially hesitant to cultivate dragon fruit, the quality of the fruit and its market potential have convinced them. By understanding and taking up the challenges, we have started cultivating it and now, without depending on foreign countries and other states, we can bring quality and non-toxic dragon fruit produced in Kerala to the markets. The role of the State Horticulture Mission- Kerala is very important in this.

Dragon fruit is cultivated in tropical and subtropical climates, but our farmer Nizam took the bold decision to start cultivating dragon fruit on land where he thought no other crops were possible except coconuts, which are nourished by saltwater from the nearby stream and lake.

Initially, the cultivation started on an experimental basis in about 150 plastic drums in the backyard, and later expanded to the lakeside. They spent lakhs of rupees to make the land suitable for cultivation by removing rocks and gravel on the lakeside. The seedlings used for cultivation are of the Malaysian Red variety. Since there is a risk of flooding, the seedlings are planted one foot above ground level.

The farmer says that the reason for choosing dragon fruit is that it requires only minimal irrigation and always fetches a good price in the market. A minimum yield of 70 kg to 160 kg is obtained in a day. It is sold in the market at a price of Rs. 160 per kg. It is mainly sold in fruit shops and supermarkets in Arattupuzha and Kayamkulam.
The local dragon fruit grown in the garden is in great demand in the market due to its rich color and taste. The farmer testifies that the fruit produced is not in a state of shortage and that he is earning a good income from farming.

The support of the State Horticulture Mission-Kerala staff in Alappuzha district, the Assistant Director of Agriculture Kayamkulam, the Agriculture Officer of Arattupuzha, and the Agricultural Assistants has inspired the farmer. The State Horticulture Mission-Kerala has provided financial assistance of Rs. 45,000. A pond has also been built under the State Horticulture Mission-Kerala project.
Consideration is also being given to the practical aspects of implementing a farm tourism project centered around this naturally beautiful plantation. Nizam and Jaseena have demonstrated that, with hard work and determination, even adverse conditions can be transformed into productive farmlands.