PRAYAGRAJ, Aug. 22 -- Known for its famed guavas, bananas and amla, the Prayagraj region is now gearing up to become the land of yummy and juicy dates, with the district set to introduce commercial cultivation of Gujarat's popular 'Barhi' date variety in its dry and rocky belts.

The horticulture department will undertake a pilot plantation of around 200 tissue-culture saplings in September in the trans-Yamuna area of Shankargarh, officials said.

The initiative aims to diversify agriculture in the district's relatively dry belt and promote a high-value horticulture crop suited to low rainfall, intense sunlight and limited water availability.

The move also comes amid concerns among farmers over erratic monsoon patterns and the declining ...