LOCAL agriculturist Isidoro T. Cabrera said local farmers can grow and export dragon fruit.
“If we are really serious about generating revenue, here’s one,” said Cabrera who once worked for the Northern Marianas College-Cooperative Research Extension and Education Services.
Cabrera said it takes only two years for the plant to start bearing fruit. If farmers start planting today, they will be harvesting dragon fruit in 2025.
He said the CNMI government should consider promoting dragon fruit farming because it can be a potential export product. There is a growing demand for dragon fruit in the U.S. mainland, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Europe, Cabrera added.
The price of dragon fruit in the CNMI is between $5 and $7 per pound. In the U.S., Cabrera said it costs over $12 a pound.
He said dragon fruit grows in any type of soil, is drought-resistant so no irrigation is needed, and requires low maintenance. Fertilizer is not recommended. And because the plant has no leaves, it can withstand strong winds caused by typhoon, Cabrera said.
Dragon fruit is a seasonal crop that bears fruit during the months when there is “long” daylight: March, April, May, June and July, he said.
He added that it is possible to make the plant bear fruit by inducing flower growth with the use of artificial daylight. With such technology, farmers can grow the crop year-round, Cabrera said.
He noted that dragon fruit is very nutritious. It has vitamins, minerals and is an anti-oxidant. It also has a long shelf life under normal temperature conditions.
Cabrera said with support from the government, local farmers and even residents can grow dragon fruit on Rota, Tinian and Saipan.
The Department of Public Lands can award agricultural homesteads or designate agricultural land for dragon fruit farming in collaboration with the Division of Agriculture, Cabrera said.
Even an individual who has a considerable size of property can participate in this venture, he added.
“If we really want to generate income, we have to start as soon possible,” Cabrera said.
Isidoro Cabrera
A dragon fruit plan in Garapan.
