Gujarat to rename Dragon Fruit as 'Kamalam'

Current GK ( Master) Art and Culture

The Gujarat Government is to patent the Dragon Fruit in the name of “Kamalam”.
The Dragon fruit is a cactus variety fruit. It is widely cultivated in South east Asia, United States, Australia, India, Caribbean islands and Mesoamerica.
The total lifespan of a Dragon fruit plant is fifteen to twenty years. They grow in regions where summer temperatures rise above 40 degrees Celsius.
Dragon Fruits grow only during summers. They do not grow in the rest of the year. However, when they grow their growth is rapid.
Dragon flowers bloom only at night. It occurs only once in a year. They rely on nocturnal pollinators such as moths and bats for fertlization.
India imports 95% of its Dragon fruit from Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Sri Lanka.
The Dragon Fruit has great export potentials to countries such as USA, Gulf and European.
The farmers in the states of Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka have taken up Dragon Fruit Cultivation only in the recent years.
Vietnam is the largest producer and exporter of Dragon Fruit.