India exports exotic dragon fruit to Dubai

"A consignment of Dragon Fruit for exports was sourced from the farmers of Tadasar village, Sangli district, Maharashtra and it was processed and packed at APEDA recognized exporter – M/s Kay Bee,'' Commerce and Industry Ministry said in a statement.

Commerce and Industry MinisterPiyush Goyal took to twitter to share the news. He wrote, ''Dragon fruit goes to Dubai: In a major boost to export of exotic fruits, a consignment of the fibre & mineral rich Dragon Fruit (Kamalam) sourced from farmers of Sangli, Maharashtra has been exported to Dubai.''

The dragon fruit is grown in countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, the US and Vietnam. Its production commenced in India in early 1990s and was grown as home gardens.

At present, dragon fruit is grown mostly in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

APEDA promotes exports of agricultural & processed food products by providing assistance to the exporters under various components such as Infrastructure Development, Quality Development and Market Development.

Apart from this the Department of Commerce also supports exports through various schemes like Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme, Market Access Initiative etc.