Dragon fruit is a medicinal plant. It acts as an immunity booster. This is the reason why its demand has increased in the last few years. Especially after the Covid transition, a large number of people are trying their hands in the field of its production. Ramesh Makwana, a resident of Bhavnagar, Gujarat, left traditional farming and started cultivating dragon fruit two years ago. Today he is cultivating dragon fruit on about 2.5 acres of land. They have three varieties. They are supplying it across the country. From this, he has earned a profit of more than 3.5 lakhs this year.
Ramesh belongs to a farmer family. They have been doing traditional farming since earlier. However, there was not much income in it. The family expenses could hardly be met. Two years ago, he got information about dragon fruit on social media. After that, he tried to gather more information about it. Watch many videos related to this on YouTube. After a few days, he came to know from an acquaintance that it is well cultivated in Jamnagar. Its plants will also be found there.
After this Ramesh went to Jamnagar. Met the farmers there and understood the process of its cultivation. Then brought 700 plants from there at the rate of Rs 48 per plant. Ramesh says that I have about 6 acres of agricultural land. Out of this, on 2.5 acres of land, I started cultivating dragon fruit. Because there was also a fear in my mind that if the crop was not done right then the land would be damaged, but it did not happen. The first year had a good harvest. After about 15 months it started producing fruits.
Ramesh says that after about 15 months of cultivation of dragon fruit, the fruit starts coming out. Although the production is not much. Because the plants are not fully matured yet. For the first time this year, fruits started coming out of my farm, so people came for shopping along with the local market. The cost of the fruit is between Rs 150-250. At present, I am marketing it through social media in many states including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh. I have done business of about 7.5 lakhs in this season. That is, I have made a direct profit of 3.5 lakhs in the first year itself. Which was not possible in traditional farming.
Ramesh is currently growing three types of dragon fruit. It includes pink, white, and red plants. The beauty of each plant is special in itself. They say that there is a good scope of business in its cultivation. Dragon fruit is being cultivated in Avania, Talaja, Dihor, Trappz, Sehore, and Palitana villages of the Bhavnagar district. According to him, the first two to three years do not earn much, but once the plants are fully ready, the production is in good quantity and there is a lot of earning. Ramesh has also connected many local farmers with employment through its cultivation.
Earlier it was believed that dragon fruit could not be cultivated in India. It used to come to India from countries like America, Vietnam, Thailand, but for the last few years, it is being produced on a large scale in India too. Gujarat is its hub. Here the government has named it Kamalam. Apart from this, it is also being cultivated in UP, MP, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal, and Maharashtra. Dragon fruit plants can be planted throughout the year except in the rainy season. Planting is best done between March to July.
Plants should be of good quality. It would be better if it is a grafted plant, as it takes less time to prepare. Regular cultivation and treatment are required after planting. Cement pillars are also needed for its support. Three plants can be planted with one pillar. As the plant grows, it is tied with a rope.
After about a year and a half, the plant is ready. From the second year onwards, fruits begin to emerge. However, a good amount of fruit is produced from the third year onwards. For this, the production is good if the temperature is less than 10 degrees and between 40 degrees. It does not require any special type of land for its cultivation. We just have to take care that there is no place for water or waterlogging. Irrigation is required once a month.
Dragon fruit cultivation training can be taken from the local Krishi Vigyan Kendra. Along with this, the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) which is located in many cities of the country can also be taken from there. Farmers cultivating dragon fruit also give training for it. Apart from this, information can also be gathered with the help of the Internet. Many government and private institutions organize seminars and workshops as well.
Since the cultivation of dragon fruit is a bit expensive in the beginning. So you have to take special care of the budget. Along with the cost of plants, it also costs money for its maintenance. In this sense, if the budget is less, then one should start with fewer plants. Later, when production starts, the scope of cultivation can be increased. Once planted, it gives fruit for about 25 years. That is, the total expenditure that is incurred is to be done at the beginning itself. Later on, only the maintenance cost remains.
Nowadays, there is a demand for dragon fruit in big supermarkets. Many big pharmaceutical companies also buy it in bulk. People are adopting it in big cities as well as small towns. Most people in Corona have started using it to increase immunity. The cost of the fruit ranges from 100 to 300 rupees. It depends on the location and size of the fruit. Its cultivation on one acre of land can produce 10 tonnes of fruit annually. Due to which an earning of Rs 8-10 lakh can be made per ton. If you set up a nursery along with farming and do processing work, then you can earn more profit. Nowadays, after its processing on a large scale, products like sauce, juice, ice cream are being made.
