Union Minister of Rural Development, Shri Giriraj Singh holds a meeting on ‘Cactus Plantation and its Economic Usage’

Source: The post is based on the article “Union Minister of Rural Development, Shri Giriraj Singh holds a meeting on ‘Cactus Plantation and its Economic Usage’” published in PIB on 9th December 2022

What is the News?

The Union Minister of Rural Development has convened a consultation meeting on ‘Cactus Plantation and its Economic Usage.

What is Cactus?

Cactus is a Xerophytic Plant which grows relatively at a slower pace.

Cactus are unevenly distributed. Its largest concentration is found around the latitude of 30 degrees north and 30 degrees south of the equator. South Africa and sub-tropical North and South America house the highest number of species as well as being densely populated.

What are the uses of Cactus?

– Cactus uses 80% less water than traditional crops and yet produce a high number of fruits. Its fruit is used to make jams and jellies due to its high sugar content and the rest of the crop is used for human consumption and animal forage.

– Additionally, this crop has a higher heat tolerance, which would make it more adaptive globally, as countries prepare to bear extreme temperatures due to climate change.

– Cactus can also be explored for realizing the benefits of its usage for biofuel, food, fodder and biofertilizer production for the larger benefit of the country. This will help reduce the fuel import burden of the country apart from contributing towards employment and income generation for the poor farmers of these areas.