Kerala’s fruit import inspires Valsamma to harvest dragon fruits

Kollam: Willingness is essential for the success of an individual or group. Valsamma, a woman from Kollam, Kerala, wanted to do something special after her retirement as a school teacher in 2022. She realized that Kerala had to import several fruits from other nations, losing money as well. She decided several fruits could be grown locally, reducing the need for imports.

She got the knowledge of above 40 exotic fruits, including kiwi, mango, apple, and orange, but the dragon fruit attracted Valsamma most. She learnt that dragon fruit is not only tasty but also has many health benefits. It contains a lot of antioxidants, beta-carotene for better eyesight, and the fruit is replete with vitamin D, which is essential for strong bones and teeth.

This influenced her to concentrate on the growth of dragon fruit. In the initial, she had to face several challenges. However, Valsamma continued her hard work and developed new methods. Her efforts didn’t go in vain. She successfully started growing dragon fruit. Her commitment to organic farming helped Valsamma have a high yield and harvest dragon fruit three times a month.

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Meanwhile, most farmers only get two harvests. Usually, the ideal time of the harvest of dragon fruit is from May to November, but Valsamma has extended her harvest season from March to December in 2024, due to her organic methods of farming.

Currently, she has been earning a huge amount of money from the harvest of dragon fruit. Overall, she has been earning Rs. 1.5 lakh each month. Valsamma’s effort and dedication earned her several awards. She was honoured with the ‘Best Organic Farmer Award’ by, Kerala’s Minister of Animal Husbandry, J. Chinchu Rani, in 2024.