DANGLAS, Abra—The province now produces off-season dragon fruit.
The Department of Science and Technology–Abra Field Office headed by provincial director Menandro Buenafe has installed a solar system at the farm of Condrado Sevilleja in Barangay Abacquid, Danglas that provides artificial lighting for the dragon fruit to prolong the fruiting period of the plants. The solar system worth P750, 000 was funded by a loan from the DoST payable in three years.
Sevilleja started his dragon fruit plantation four years ago with more than 2,000 cuttings he procured from the Dragon Fruit Farm in Burgos, Ilocos Norte. With the more than 2,000 cuttings, he was able to plant 700 posts.
Today, there are more than 3,000 posts in a two-hectare plantation that is part of his 18-hectare lot.
The solar system is effective, Sevilleja attests. The peak of harvest season is usually from July to October. The plants start to bloom in May and fruiting starts in June.
This year alone, Sevilleja said, he harvested 7,000 kilos of dragon fruit. He sells his fruits in Bangued, La Union and Baguio City. He also produces by-products such as moisturizing soap, wine and vinegar.
Dragon fruit farming, though not labor intensive, requires a large initial capital as the cactus needs posts to lean on, Sevilleja shared. At the outset, he used wooden posts but because they easily rot, he started pre-fabricating concrete posts to replace them.
The farmer plans to expand his dragon fruit farming into an eco-tourism site because the scenic Abot Waterfalls is within his 18-hectare compound. His eco-tourism project is being assisted by the Department of Trade and Industry—Abra Provincial Office.
Sevilleja is a former overseas Filipino worker who worked as an electrician in New Zealand and Australia. He is married to Anita Santos from Laoag City and they have three daughters: KC, an electrical engineer; Katrina, who is finishing her Master of Arts in International Relations in Melbourne, Australia; and Kristel, a pharmacist.