Dragon Fruit in Haris: An Agricultural Experiment Turns into a Promising Project in Salfit

In the village of Haris, west of Salfit, a different agricultural success story began when farmer Saed Qassem embarked on the experience of growing dragon fruit, in an attempt to cultivate mixed and unconventional fruit varieties and turn the experience into a specialized agricultural project for this fruit within Palestine.

Qassem states that the idea of growing dragon fruit came with the aim of experimenting with new and unconventional fruit varieties and working on localizing the cultivation of tropical fruits in Salfit Governorate, explaining that the experience has proven the possibility of successfully growing this type of agriculture in Palestinian lands, given the availability of suitable climatic and environmental conditions.

He points out that dragon fruit is distinguished by its nutritional value, as it contains a range of vitamins, minerals, iron, antioxidants, and other nutrients, which makes it one of the fruits that is gaining increasing attention among consumers.

From 16 seedlings to 600

Qassem started his experiment by planting only 16 seedlings, before gradually expanding the farm over about two years, reaching today nearly 600 seedlings, of which about 500 are fruit-bearing, while the remaining number was recently planted as part of the project's expansion plan.

He confirms that the success of the experiment encouraged him to continue and expand, especially after the plants showed good growth and production capacity, noting that dragon fruit does not require large amounts of water and fertilizers compared to some other crops, which helped in developing the project despite limited agricultural resources.

Over time, production improved year after year, transforming the experiment from mere limited cultivation into a project that is scalable and sustainable, with the possibility of increasing the cultivated areas in the future.

A season that extends until winter

Regarding the nature of production, Qassem explains that the ripening of dragon fruit does not occur all at once, as the plants go through varying stages of flowering, growth, and ripening, which makes the harvesting process intermittent and occurs at intervals usually ranging from one week to two weeks.

According to Qassem, the fruit production season extends from June to December, and may sometimes continue until January, depending on weather conditions and temperatures.

Qassem is currently working on developing his experience by selecting commercial varieties of dragon fruit that are more adaptable to the Palestinian climate and more productive, which enhances the chances of success for this type of agriculture on a larger scale.

Local Demand

In terms of marketing, Qassem points out that there is a demand for the fruit from the residents of Haris and the neighboring towns, especially with the increasing interest in fruits that have high nutritional value and are rich in fiber and antioxidants.

He believes that the success of the experiment is not limited to producing a new fruit in the local market, but it opens the door for farmers to engage in unconventional agricultural experiments, diversify agricultural production, and benefit from varieties that can adapt to the climatic conditions in Palestine.

From 16 seedlings that started as an experiment, to about 600 seedlings today, farmer Saeed Qassem continues to develop his project in Haris, keeping in mind the transformation of dragon fruit from a new agricultural experiment into a Palestinian crop that is viable for production and expansion, in an experience that reflects the Palestinian farmer's ability to innovate and seek new agricultural alternatives.

Qassem concluded his talk by inviting relevant institutions and citizens to visit his farm and closely observe the cultivation of dragon fruit.