With 400 dragon fruit plants, farmer hopes to make a killing

Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, February 24

While conventional farming is losing sheen in the area following irrigation and wildlife destroying crops, a farmer in Bilaspur has resorted to dragon fruit farming. Sunil Chandel of Panoh village near Ghumarwin in the district had developed a dragon farm on his three-kanal land that he wanted to expand into 12-kanal of area.

Significantly, dragon fruit is a delicacy that costs around Rs 100 to Rs 150 per kg and its farming requires low irrigation and animals hardly come near the plants.

Chandel, an agriculture expert and a retired project officer of Rural Development Authority, said that plantation for dragon fruit farming was done last year and in three years these plants would start bearing fruits. He added that he had installed 100 pillars, each of which has four plants, hence he had planted 400 plants. He said that once mature, this farm would produce about 15 quintal dragon fruit and could easily be sold around Rs 2 lakh.

Unconventional step

• Dragon fruit is a delicacy that costs around Rs 100 to Rs 150 per kg and its farming requires low irrigation and animals hardly come near the plants
• Apart from the fruits, farmers could easily propagate plants after four years from the mother plants and develop a nursery of dragon fruit

Speaking about the investment on the pilot project, he said the pillar and the ring cost around Rs 2,000 while labour and manure cost is around Rs 50,000. He added that since it is based purely on the concept of natural farming, its maintenance cost each year would not be more than Rs 1,500.

Chandel said apart from fruits, farmers could easily propagate plants after four years from the mother plants and develop a nursery of dragon fruit. The plant could be sold around Rs 100 to Rs 200, depending on the size of the plants, he added.

Chandel informed that none of the government departments including Agriculture or Horticulture had encouraged dragon fruit farming, nor the government had showed any support towards the fruit.

He said if encouraged, it could be a great economy booster for the area and most of the barren land could also be brought under cultivation of dragon fruit. Notably, the plants at the farm had achieved desired height and budding had also started on the plants. Chandel shared that he would pluck the flower this year as he wanted plants to be healthy before they bear fruits.

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