TANAHU, July 21: Kalpana Gauli of Byas Municipality-5, Tanahu, earned Rs 1.6 million by selling dragon fruits last year. She has planted 2,100 plants in a 9-ropani area.
As the dragon fruit seeds have started ripening, she has become very busy with harvesting and selling. She started the farm in 2022, registering it under the name “Ma Ambe Alaukik Krishi Farm.” She imported the plants from Hyderabad, India.
“Under an agreement to pay Rs 20,000 per month, I leased this land for 20 years,” she said. She mentioned that she sold fruits worth Rs 1.6 million last year and expects to make Rs 2 million this year with improved fruit quality.
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Dragon fruit starts flowering in May, ripens within 60 days after flowering, and is ready for harvest. Fruits can be harvested from June to November, she said.
“This year, I have already picked 35 kg in the first harvest followed by 1,000 kg and another 1,000 kg of dragon fruit in the second and third harvests, respectively,” she said. “It can be harvested up to 13 times.”
Most of her customers themselves visit the farm to buy, and the rest of the fruits are sold to vegetable and fruit vendors in Damauli. “I don’t need to take the fruits elsewhere to sell. The produce is consumed within Damauli. I sell them for Rs 500 to 700 per kg after grading,” Gauli said.
She has provided full-time employment to two people.
Developing as an Observation Center
Recently, Gauli's farm has been developing as an observation center. School and college students, teachers, and locals come to observe the farm.
She said that government employees and representatives from various organizations visit the farm to learn about dragon fruit. "People are allowed to enter the farm when the dragon fruit is ripe, but it is prohibited at other times," she said.
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