This is the case of KC Dragon Fruit Farm (KCDF Farm), a three-hectare farm in Lemery, Panay, Iloilo. It began from a local’s hobby of planting fruit-bearing trees but the farm has progressed in a span of eight years and is now looking to venture into agritourism.
Back in 2013, Kristian Chif (KC) Alanan Ballener, a current member of the Sanggunian Bayan in Lemery, Iloilo and owner of KCDF, planted fruit trees such as coconut and dragon fruit, which he sourced from Ilocos.
From a hundred cuttings, he managed to grow four cuttings each on 25 concrete posts. Presently, the number of concrete posts has ballooned to a thousand, providing him with a bountiful harvest of dragon fruits.
The land where KCDF Farm now stands used to be a sugarcane plantation owned by Ballener’s mother. He shared that due to it being unproductive, the land was eventually abandoned. But Ballener saw it as a potential farm that grows dragon fruits and welcomes guests, which is why he decided to take over.
“At that time, I thought that after 10 years, I could turn this abandoned lot into something that my family could be proud of. I also believe that we should venture into agriculture as early as possible so we can enjoy the benefits of what we sow for a longer time,” he said.
WHY HE DECIDED TO GROW DRAGON FRUITS
One reason why Ballener decided to grow dragon fruits is because locals in their town aren’t familiar with the exotic fruit.
“Agriculture is part of our family business because my father is a palay farmer and my mother is a businesswoman who trades rice. [Venturing into] dragon fruit farming is profitable for long term investment,” he said.
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Denne historien er fra July - August 2021-utgaven av Agriculture.
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