Dragon fruit or pitaya is a beauty of a fruit.A bright fuschia rind protects the black speckled creamy flesh. Yet as with all beauties it comes with drama. There's a war going on , leaving farmers with an excess and financial problems.
Regular contributor Christina Morales wrote about the dragonfruit war between Floridian and Ecuadorian farmers in yesterday's New York Times Food section.dragon fruit is becoming popular, especially as a flavorer for drinks. Taco Bell uses it in their iced teas and Starbucks combines it with lemonade or mango juice in their refreshers. This would equate tremendous demands and top sales to those farmers in South Florida. Yet they were slapped in the face when Ecuadorian famers glutted the market with it. They extended their season which would be going into the Southern Hemisphere fall just as the June crops were coming into being. This overlap has been a major blow to the Americans whose budgets have been tightened by inflation and high labor costs.Dragon fruit grows from June to November, with the fruits grown at the end of the season being nourished by artifical sunlight along with lots of water, fertilizer and pruning.
The US has always had competition regarding the pitaya. It is grown in Vietnam and Peru besides Ecuador. Yet it's the Ecuadorans that are giving the farmers the most worry. In recent year the South Americans have provided a reliable supply in recent years, especially during the pandemic when the Florida farmers had to deal with labor shortages.It also has more appeal because it's larger than the Floridian ones. It's popularity has increased in the last twenty years thanks to it being nutrient dense according to Jonathan Crane , the associate director of the Tropical Research and Education Center at the UNiversity of Florida. The fruit also has a nice flavor. Think a not so sweet pear which makes it idea for all sorts of recipes from cold teas and refreshers to sorbets and even salads.The problem is that it's not as popular as other fruits which would create demand for it. Many farmers are now selling it directly, trying to make up for this excess.They also had to deal with drought which ruined a good mumber of plants as well.
The dragonfruit wars are on hold now thanks to Hurricane Ian. Hopefully the fruit will gain in popularity and both American and South American farmers can benefit. It's a delicious tasty fruit worth the drama
Posts
