“Pakistan has the natural advantage of growing dragon fruit. By promoting dragon fruit cultivation to Pakistani farmers, providing Chinese high-quality dragon fruit seedlings and its scientific management and planting technology, it is expected to turn dragon fruit into a new foreign exchange fruit with high commercial potential in Pakistan,” highlighted by Shan Ailin, owner of Tiantian Farm in a recent interview.
Dragon fruit tastes delicious and has high nutritional value. It is a green and eco-friendly fruit with certain curative effects. According to the research and observation of Dr. Asif Javed, an expert who has been promoting the growth of dragon fruit in Pakistan for the last five years, dragon fruit is a tropical fruit that is well suited to Pakistan’s tropical and subtropical climate.
Prior to its local production, the dragon fruit which was available in Pakistan was imported from Vietnam, Thailand and other countries. Half-ripe fruits are cut to extend their shelf life, greatly affecting the flavor and nutritional value. High transportation costs have made this “super fruit” difficult to reach for Pakistanis. Dr. Asif Javed believes dragon fruit is a cash crop and the increasing operations in Pakistan could make it more profitable. “We supply these plants to farmers and amateur growers throughout Pakistan and also cover the transportation costs,” claimed him.
