Maharashtra farmer earns Rs12 lakh per acre from dragon fruit farming in drought-prone Akola

When Prasad Balkrishna Ramchaware visited Mumbai in 2017, he saw a dark pink fruit with leather-like skin and scaly spikes. It was dragon fruit, and he found the taste to his liking. 

While researching it, Prasad discovered that dragon fruit could be grown in his village in Akola, Maharashtra. Akola is part of the drought-prone Vidarbha region, which has low farming profitability due to dependence on rain, high cultivation costs and poor market access.

“I learned that dragon fruit is a hardy plant that requires little water, making it suitable for our region's climate. I was doing my B. Pharma, when Covid-19 hit. My college was closed. I decided to start dragon fruit farming at that time,” Prasad tells 30Stades.

How high-density farming boosts incomes

Prasad's father had also retired just before the lockdown. He helped him get started. 

“We both had free time. I connected online with farmers from Vietnam. They gave valuable suggestions, and I opted for high-density organic farming,” says the 27-year-old agripreneur.

In high-density dragon fruit farming, more saplings are planted per acre than in traditional methods to maximise yield. 

Also Read: Seven exotic fruit farmers running super profitable farms

“While traditionally, two poles are kept 10 feet apart and hold four vines of dragon fruit each, I put six more plants between them using three bamboo supports,” Prasad explains.

He maintains a row-to-row gap of 11 feet and plants iceberg lettuce, spinach, coriander, broccoli, and some other exotic vegetables in this space. 

“While the traditional system has 1600 dragon fruit plants per acre, Prasad’s farm has 3100 per acre. He has a vertical trellis system to support the plants' growth and optimise space, which has resulted in 22 tonnes of production from just two acres in the ongoing season. 

There is additional income from intercropping vegetables, which makes high-density farming extremely profitable. 

Also Read: Kerala farmer harvests 6000 kg rambutan per acre with high-density farming

How to start organic dragon fruit farming

When restrictions were eased in June 2021, Prasad purchased 6200 dragon fruit saplings of the red and yellow variety. “Out of this, I bought 2,200 from Gujarat and 4,000 from Solapur (Maharashtra). Each plant cost me Rs 82, including transportation. The saplings were three months old at that time,” he says.

Prasad started preparing the land six months before plantation. 

“I added 18 trolleys of cow dung manure over two acres. I made raised beds for saplings as they improve soil drainage to prevent waterlogging,” he says.

He planted 3100 saplings per acre. “I installed drip irrigation to ensure water reaches the roots. The roots of dragon fruit are not very deep or widespread. So little water goes a long way for this exotic fruit,” Prasad says.

Income and nursery business

Prasad points out that the first harvest was ready after 11 months. “In 2022, I harvested 3 tonnes and sold them at Rs200 per kg, earning Rs 6 lakh and recovered my investment,” he says.

In 2023, he harvested 14 tonnes of dragon fruit and sold them at Rs 125 per kg, earning Rs 18lakh. “However, since 2024, while production on the farm has increased, the rate has come down to Rs 100 per kg on average. In 2024, I earned Rs 20 lakh,” he says.

In the current season, which ends in December or January, he has already harvested 22 tonnes of fruit, earning Rs 22 lakh. 

“Now, I have also started a nursery business and prepare saplings on a part of the farm. I sell them at Rs50 per piece and earned Rs3 lakh this year, taking my total income to Rs25 lakh from 2 acres,” Prasad says.

He sells the crop in the local Akola market and across Maharashtra. “Some wholesalers from other states also buy from us, but about 90 percent of the produce is sold within the state,” he adds.

“I have made a fence by planting trees of sandalwood and custard apple. They will add to income in the coming years,” he adds.

He emphasises the use of organic farming methods to ensure good plant and soil health. “I add neem cake, vermicompost, cow dung manure, and biofertilisers like Trichoderma and Pseudomonas to promote nutrition and root development of plants,” he says.

Since dragon fruit is a naturally sturdy plant, he says there is no need to apply chemicals. “A well-maintained vine gives fruit for 25 to 35 years,” says Prasad, who sells saplings across India. He has also sent them to Bhutan, given the high demand for quality saplings.

(Rashmi Pratap is a Mumbai-based journalist specialising in financial, business and socio-economic reporting)

Also Read: Three engineers and an ex-banker earning lakhs from dragon fruit farming

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