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 viability of conventional crops dependent on regular irrigation, officials said. "Considering the climate and soil conditions of the Patha region, the Barhi variety has been selected. It is also the most suitable variety from the perspective of farmers as well as market demand," said district horticulture officer Mewa Ram, confirming the move. Barhi is among the commercially successful date varieties cultivated in Kutch. Unlike most dates, which are highly astringent when unripe, Barhi can be eaten fresh in its yellow stage. The fruit is then crisp and sweet, with a texture resembling an apple or guava. On full ripening, its flesh turns soft, juicy and honey-sweet. The variety is ready for harvesting by late June or early July, allowing farmers to harvest the crop before the monsoon. This lowers the risk of fruit rotting due to rain and humidity. The dates can also be sold as fresh produce without processing into dried dates, helping farmers save processing costs and time. An adult date palm can yield around 100 to 150 kg of fruit annually, according to the horticulture department. The first harvest from the newly planted palms is expected about three years after planting. Mewa Ram said the Shankargarh belt had been found suitable for date cultivation because of its dry condition. These areas are already witnessing cultivation of crops such as dragon fruit, which also require relatively low rainfall and humidity. Prayagraj will be the second district in Uttar Pradesh, after Mirzapur, where commercial date cultivation is being introduced based on agro-climatic suitability, officials said. The state horticulture and food processing department is promoting the Barhi variety under schemes including the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana. Farmers are eligible for a subsidy of up to 40% for commercial date cultivation. The average cost of establishing a date plantation is estimated at around Rs.4 lakh per hectare, making farmers eligible for a subsidy of up to Rs.1.60 lakh per hectare. The horticulture department said the subsidy would be available only for tissue-culture plants as the survival rate of seed-grown date palms is low....