Agricom.id, KUTAI KERTANEGARA – Fruit agribusiness development would give the additional values and maintain the nutrient balance of the people. After being hit by some diseases some years ago, the fruit dragon of Kutai Kertanegara starts developing again.

Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo always told to increase the productivity by the extensification and intensification through the environmental cultivation which refers to the good agricultural practices, standard operating procedures and plant the good prospective fruits in the domestic and to export.

The fruit dragon cultivation in Kutai Kertanegara (Kukar) starts developing in Sub district of Samboja, Loa Janan and Sub district of Sebulu which cover about 152,25 hectares (ha) and the production about 703,6 tons.

The unique of the fruit dragon plantations in District of Kutai Kartanegara is it uses strong pillars made of ironwood.  The dragon fruit could produce in every year because the district is in the line of equator within the full sunshine all day.

The dragon fruit needs full sunshine about 70 – 80%. In some regions developing dragon fruit would need lamps to accelerate the harvest. The peak harvest in the district is in April – August. The district cultivates the red dragon fruit.

General Director of Horticulture, Ministry of Agriculture, Prihasto Setyanto told that the normal cultivation in the district would be very helpful to increase the people’s income in the Covid-19 pandemic. There are lots of demands to the fruit. The stocks were not enough to fulfill the market demands, namely to export. This showed that the agribusiness of dragon fruit is still promising and widely opens.

“The farmers are the tough men. They could not stay still when their plantations were hit or attacked by the disease,” he proudly said.

Ministry of agriculture and the local government did many too. Agriculture Agency, District of Kutai Kartanegara did many things to take back the glory of dragon fruit in the district.

The district has wider potential to develop dragon fruit reaching 67.869 ha. The areas are good to plant because of the condition and the agroclimate.

Director of Fruit and Floriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Liferdi Lukman said that his side would keep encouraging the farmers to do the standard operating procedure (SOP) which refers to the good agricultural practices and the products would be the same with what the markets want both in the quality and quantity.

“Especially the mainstay fruits which are potential, such as, mangosteen, mango, banana, pineapple, thorny palm, durians, and dragon fruit by involving every related stakeholder,” he said.

He did appreciate the farmers of the district who succeeded producing the qualified one even in the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Hopefully the dragon fruit could increase its production, not only for the local but also for the exposrts,” he said. (A2)