Dragon Fruit and Papaya Festival Held in Grombalia, Tunisia
The city of Grombalia, in the governorate of Nabeul, hosted the first edition of the Dragon Fruit and Tunisian Papaya Festival on Sunday.
Event Overview
The event brought together several farmers, agronomists, technicians, and investors interested in tropical fruit cultivation, as part of the support for alternative crops. This festival, organized throughout Sunday, was an opportunity to better showcase this type of culture and encourage farmers to initiate it, through the presentation of methods and rules to follow for successful investment in dragon fruit production.
Importance of Dragon Fruit
Farmer Mohamed Ben Dhaou, organizer of the event, highlighted the importance of dragon fruit, which he has been cultivating for over ten years, as an alternative crop adapted to climate change and water scarcity, given its economic benefits and low irrigation requirements. He called on farmers to discover its characteristics and maintenance methods, adding that it is a promising sector that can diversify agricultural production in Tunisia. He also emphasized the commercial value of this fruit and its profitability, considering that its cultivation does not require large areas or a lot of labor. "It can indeed be practiced on a terrace or in a domestic garden," he added. He specified that more and more farmers are turning to this culture as an alternative to other productions whose costs are constantly increasing.
Current State of Dragon Fruit Production
Today, there are over 120 dragon fruit producers spread across different regions of the country. Dragon fruit, nicknamed the "golden tree" in its country of origin, Mexico, before spreading to East Asia and then to Arab countries, including Tunisia, is characterized by a long production period from June to December each year. As for papaya, it is characterized by continuous production throughout the year.
Festival Activities
The event also included animations, tasting sessions, a plant exhibition-sale, as well as the conclusion of partnerships. It attracted a large audience of visitors eager to discover more about tropical fruits with high nutritional value and benefit from their numerous health benefits.
