STICK TO AGRICULTURE: Rows of sticks are being prepared to grow pitaya or dragon fruit in Galang island, Batam, Riau Islands province. Dragon fruit plantations are now a popular venture among residents in Rempang and Galang islands. (JP/Fadli)

Thousands of sticks standing at attention along the highway linking Rempang and Galang Islands have become a familiar site -- a closer look reveals the dragon fruit they support.

The pitaya, or dragon fruit, has become popular with the residents of Riau Islands province the past three years. Previously imported from Malaysia, they now grow it themselves, especially on Rempang and Galang Islands which are part of the Riau archipelago.

Pitaya is the fruit of several cactus species and is grown in arid areas, a condition similar to that on Rempang, Galang and Batam which are characterized by hilly contours and a dry, tropical climate.

The long-standing administrative dispute between the Batam Industrial Development Authority (BIDA) and the Batam municipality regarding the status of Rempang and Galang Islands has offered local residents the chance to develop a dragon fruit industry on the islands' idle land.

As of now, the land status of Rempang and Galang remains unclear. The Batam municipality and BIDA are still waiting for the decision from the National Land Agency.

The lull in development activities on the islands is a blessing in disguise for local residents. Working with the private sector, the profitable fruit is now vastly grown on the islands.

A 27-year-old farmer on Rempang Island, Kuraiyadin, known as Yadin, told The Jakarta Post it was easier to grow dragon fruit compared with other fruits because it was disease resistant and required little water.

"It has a shorter planting period but has many harvest cycles per year, thus encouraging many people to invest in growing the dragon fruit," Yadin said.

He said he reaped a good profit from the four-hectare plot on which he and his four colleagues have grown the fruit since 2005.

It's planting method is unique, because for the plant to remain standing, it must be propped up by a stick one-and-a-half meters long. A hectare requires 1,000 prop sticks, each able to support four plants.

At least three months is needed for a plant to bear fruit. It subsequently yields fruit every month for up to six months. Each fruit weighs between 700 and 800 grams. Sweet dragon fruit has a creamy pulp and delicate aroma.

"Total harvests cannot meet the local demand, especially when the fruit is exported outside the area. To enhance production, vast areas are needed," Yadin said.

Pitaya is considered a plant rich in medicinal properties. Based on a number of reports, it is said to control diabetes, lower cholesterol levels and enhance stamina. Its price, however, is quite expensive, especially for low-income earners. A kilogram of dragon fruit costs Rp 15,000 (US$1.60).

Neither the Batam municipality or BIDA have any official data on the farm area managed by local residents. However, at a glance, fields along the highway in Rempang and Galang have been virtually covered by dragon fruit farms, which range in size from between two and four hectares.

Each four-hectare farm yields at least 45 tons of fruit. Most of the harvests from Rempang and Galang are destined for local consumption. Some of the farms also cater to the outside market, such as Medan, Padang and Jambi.

A resident of Galang, Abu Anwar, said many local villagers worked together with farm owners under sharecropping arrangements; the farmers received 30 percent of the profit and the landowners the remaining.

The landowners also pay for expenses, such as seedlings, fertilizer and workers' meals.

"I earn about Rp 2 million each month from growing the plants. Buyers from Batam usually come on Saturdays and Sundays, peak sale days," Abu said.

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