Dragon fruit now in shopping malls!
Dragon fruit, a new type of fruit has now entered into city's leading shopping malls. Dragon fruit (Hylocereous undatus) is a member of Cacti or Cactaceae family native to Central America, now grown in many parts of the world including Bangladesh. The fruit is tasty and has nutritious values. It contains a good amount of vitamin C, B, minerals such as Calcium, etc. Dragon fruit is a rich source of antioxidant which prevents cancer. The fruit also helps in reducing blood cholesterol and blood sugar. Among many other qualities Dragon fruit helps in reducing body weight. In fact, Prof. Dr. Abdur Rahim, Director, Germplasm Center, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh had brought this fruit to Bangladesh and started researching on Dragon fruit in 2007 to examine up to what extent this fruit could be adapted under the soil and climatic condition of Bangladesh. And he came out successful in growing Dragon fruit in Bangladesh. Now that two types of Dragon fruit, red and white received certification from the relevant government department. Some private farms have started growing and marketing Dragon fruits commercially; concerned farms should distribute leaflets highlighting the content, nutritional values plus consumption process of this fruit through their sale outlets. And to expand cultivation of Dragon fruits, the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) may undertake a project to popularize Dragon fruits and to keep on surveying the market of this new fruits so that farmers may not sustain loss after cultivating Dragon fruits on their lands.
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