Grow Thailand Apple in Manipur and Earn Rs 5 lakhs per Acre of Farm

Thailand apple or “Apple Ber" is  high profitable fruit in India. Farmers do not know much about apple ber cultivation. Manipur is flooded with Apple ber from Myanmar and imports it from other Indian cities too. Why can't we grow this new fruit in Manipur.  Cost of cultivation and maintenance is less for the plant. Market price for Apple Ber in India is Rs 120-Rs 170 per Kg.

Apple Ber tree is recommended for the regions having water scarcity as it requires very less water. It is best suited for high region. It survives easily even if not irrigated for a month. It can be intercropped with all crops. It grows well in all types of soil and is apt for all climatic conditions except colder regions like Jammu and Kashmir. 

It surely is profitable for farmers to grow apple ber as after completing a year tree yields 40-60 kgs fruits, in 2nd year 80-10 kgs and in 3rd more than 100 kgs. “A farmer can easily earn Rs. 5 lakhs/annum. It has medicinal properties hence the demand is surely to increase,” he adds. Ideally it must be planted after summers as it starts flowering from September onwards and yields from January-March. In one acre 400-500 plants can be cultivated.

 The leaves can be used as a laxative and for throat problems as a decoction and the same liquid can also be used for skin problems. The roots have wound healing properties too.

 Medical researchers have found a “new” flavonoid in ber called zivulgarin and trials are underway to discover how it might benefit us. Oleamide found in an extract of Zizyphus jujube has been found to help fight Alzheimer’s disease, and help the cognitive processes.

It has been found that there is saponins in he leaves and vitamin C in the form of ascorbic acid in the fruit, as well as the B-complex vitamins, thiamin, riboflavin and pectin. It has immunostimulant, antioxidant and wound healing properties, and pectin is known to be useful in cases of diarrhoea. The fruit also helps lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Some of the triterpenoic acids isolated from the fruit are also believed to be useful in fighting cancer and HIV.

Apple Ber is profitable due to the following reasons:

Production after 6 Months of cultivation

Per Plant 20 to 25 kgs yield in first year

After first year 50 to 100 kg. produced per Tree

One Fruit weighing 50 125 gms

Looks and Tastes like Apple

No-Thorn-Tree

Fruits are big so Labour expenses less

Natural Pollination

Disease Free and Germ Resistant variety

Shelf Life is more

Price or selling rates are higher to traditional ber fruits

Two times yield in one year and Time can be adjusted.

Grow Dragon Fruit in Northeast State of India

One fruit which can be successfully grow in Northeast States of India is Dragon fruit.  The climate condition and soil of Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam is best suited for the fruit. Dragon fruit – Pithaya, The ‘Wonderous Fruit’ of The 21st Century is Set to Ring in a Revolution in the Indian Horticulture Scenario. It is a Boon to The Farmers And Consumers. Originally From The Central Americas It Is Successfully Grown Commercially In Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh And Now Knocking At Our Door In India.

Cultivation

1) Dragon fruit being a cactus it requires less amount of water.

2) In the first year itself the plants bear fruits.

3) A framework of concrete poles is required to raise the plants.

4) In one acre around 1760 nos of plants can be grown.

5) The yield per acre is 5-6 tonnes.

6) The plants flower generally from mid May to June and bears fruit from August to December.

7) The market rates for dragon fruit is around 200-250 Rs per kg

Dragon fruit Health Benefits

The health benefits of dragon fruit cactus fruit are many and varied. These nutritional benefits include dragon fruit health benefits which help to lower blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetes. Its health benefits and the great dragon fruit nutrition benefits make dragon fruit cactus fruit popular all over the world - Dragon fruit is now being discovered in the US and that market is growing as people realize the special health benefits of it and its great nutritional benefits like its high antioxidant amounts and vitamin C levels. 

Dragon fruit (most commonly as the dried dragon fruit cactus fruit) is a great fruit to incorporate into a diabetic diet plan and lots of diabetic recipes can include it. While dragon fruit is not a type 2 diabetes cure, it may offer diabetics a substantial health benefit towards lower blood glucose levels. Dragon fruit vitamin C and dietary fiber are both positive nutritional benefits of Dragon fruit among others. The amount of vitamin C in this fruit is substantial, and you can see up to 10 times the amount of vitamin C in Dragon fruit which has been dried vs. the fresh dragon fruit cactus fruit. Of course the dried Dragon fruit nutrients are much more dense than in the fresh fruit!

How to Grow Dragon fruit

While you may see some dragon fruit cactus plants in your backyard if you are in Hawaii, for many of those in the world the climate is not tropical enough. However, when it is right growing its commercially is big business. Growing Dragon fruit commercially is common in places like Thailand and Vietnam where the climate is right for growing it all the way successfully to fruit. In growing Dragon fruit cactus commercially, there are three most commonly cultivated varieties of dragon fruit, red Dragon fruit with red flesh and red skin, dragon fruit with yellow skin and white flesh, and red dragon fruit with red skin and white flesh. 

All varieties have the flesh or Dragon fruit pulp filled with lots of tiny black seeds which are edible with the fruit. For hobbyists who want to grow it, there are lots more dragon fruit varieties than used by those who grow it commercially. If you want to experiment yourself and try growing it at home, often it is easy growing dragon fruit plants just from the seeds in dragon fruit you eat. Growing it is a fun project for kids, but bear in mind that commercial growing of Dragon fruit is another story.