Dragon fruit cultivation is becoming popular day by day in Kisoreganj. Visiting Pakundia upazila of the district, it was seen that Khurshid Uddin, a farmer from Khama village, was the first to plant a garden with 240 saplings with 80 pillars on 20 decimal of land in the upazila. Khurshid Uddin spent Tk. 30,000 to set up the garden.
By cultivating tomatoes and ginger as a companion crop in this landless farmer's orchard, he is able to recoup his investment in the 1st season and later produce seedlings with the stalks which are cut by mutilation and sell them in the market and in different upazilas including Pakundia upazila.
He earns another 40-50 thousand taka by selling saplings at the agricultural fair. He said he was selling dragon fruit at Tk. 600 per kg. Two measures have already been sold dragon fruit. Dragon will hold and sell fruit until November.
It is learned that the saplings made from the garden of farmer Khurshid Uddin can now be seen planted in one or two pillars in the backyard of the house in this area. Farmer Khurshid Uddin said, “As a poor farmer without any help, I did not have the courage to cultivate this fruit.
Besides, when I set up pillars on the land for gardening, people in the area started calling me crazy. I lost some courage. On the advice of Sohag Bhai, I regained my lost courage and according to his advice, I could return the money invested in one season, now it is possible to meet the expenses of my family by selling the companion crop/cutting/fruit.”
Deputy Assistant Agriculture Officer Hamimul Haque Sohag said many more orchards have been planted in the upazila after seeing Khurshid's orchards, and dragon fruit trees have been planted in almost every house in the village.
Farmers are benefiting from the increase in the cultivation of dragon fruit. He said that the dragon's flower looks like an elongated elephant's trunk at first, but when it gets dark in the evening, it blooms into a round white color. The exquisite colors and sweet aromas of the captivating flowers are only available at night.
That is why the people of this area gather in Khurshid Uddin's garden after evening to see this flower. Although it is both sexes, many insects that roam at night are attracted to the smell of flowers and honey extraction and pollinate the flowers. At dawn, the flower loses its beauty and gradually turns into a fruit.
District Agriculture Extension Department Deputy Director Md. Saiful Alam said that at one time farmers were afraid to cultivate dragon fruit.
Will you be able to see the face of profit? But on the advice of our agricultural officials, they have got the courage to cultivate dragon fruit and are benefiting.