Dragon fruit an eggshaped, bright pink or red fruit with green-tipped scales and a bland taste has become a super hit in India, with its imports rising multifold in two months. "Imports of dragon fruits have increased by almost 20 times in past two months, bringing down the wholesale prices from Rs 350 per kg to Rs 100," said Dinesh Shinde, a leading importer of fruits from Vashi APMC in Mumbai.

India gets most of its dragon fruit  also known as Pitaya from Vietnam, while local production too is on the rise. Importers said change in the mode of shipment of the fruit from air to sea has led to an exponential increase in dragon fruit imports. "This has reduced transportation cost by Rs 150/kg to just Rs 20/kg," said Shinde. Used as dessert fruit/cut fruit, dragon fruit is a favourite with high-end hotels for its exotic looks. And it's fast getting many takers other than hotels and the rich.

"Almost 60% to 70% of our dragon fruit production is sold to roadside vendors," said Samar Gupta, managing director at Trikaya Agro, which started growing dragon fruit six years ago. Trikaya, which grows more than 100 exotic fruits and vegetables in Maharashtra, today produces 30-35 tonne of dragon fruit annually.

This fruit of a vine-like cactus has white flesh peppered with tiny edible black seeds. Its popularity is growing beyond metros to other cities, particularly in south India. "We are sending dragon fruits to almost all themajor cities," said Gupta.

While the locally grown dragon fruit is cheaper, it is available only for five months; the one from Vietnam is available for almost 10 months of the year.

Souce:economictimes.indiatimes.com