Even as commercial cultivation of dragon fruit picks up in the state, many families are hopping on the bandwagon
It was indeed a big moment for Rajan Varghese and his wife Shailaja when they plucked the first dragon fruit from the terrace garden of their home in Kanipayyur, Thrissur. Says Rajan, “We planted the stem last November and are eagerly waiting for today.
Shamana PK, a primary school teacher from Kavaratti in Lakshadweep, waits for a plant to flower on her terrace. “Ever since I found that you can grow it at home, I wanted to try it,” says Shamana.
He is among the horticulture enthusiasts in Kerala who are planting dragon fruit, which has emerged as a super crop over the years. Dragon fruit is being cultivated on a large scale in Kerala, apart from commercial farmers, the number of people growing it at home is also increasing.
Shamna PK with dragon fruit grown at home in Kavaratti, Lakshadweep. photo Credit: special arrangement
It is not the fruity look alone that has grabbed everyone’s attention. A low-maintenance (requiring less water and nutrients) climbing cactus vine, one plant produces several crops a year and has a lifespan of about 20 years. The emphasis on the health benefits of the fruit (it is rich in antioxidants and fibre) ensures a good market and hence reasonable profits as well. The yellow-green fragrant flowers of dragon fruit are another attraction.
“It is usually grown on the ground with a strong material (like a concrete pillar) support and ring-shaped structure (usually a tyre) to tamp down the vine. But when you grow it indoors, You can plant it in grow bags, paint cans or large containers. Make sure the vines have a strong support to climb and spread so that they are not weighed down by the weight of the fruits,” says Hussain S of Mukkom, Kozhikode, who are selling dragon fruit stem cuttings.
There are more than 400 plants in about 3,400 square feet on the terrace of his house and shop. “My mission is to popularize dragon fruit farming. Apart from planting them in containers and grow bags, I am also growing them on the soil laid on the terrace of my shop,” he adds. Hussain got more subscribers after videos of his nursery surfaced on YouTube. “There has been a huge jump in the number of customers during and after the lockdown. I have sold over 20,000 stems in the past year. Only a few of them have taken it upon themselves to start the farm,” says Hussain.
Originally from Central and South America (southern Mexico, Guatemala and Costa Rica), dragon fruit, also known as papaya or strawberry pear, is grown in soil bags with seeds or stem cuttings/rooted cuts/roots. Can be grown from plants. The potting mix consists of soil, cow dung, river sand, cocopith, bone meal and neem cake.
A plant usually bears fruit within a year but in some cases it can take up to two years. It takes 30-35 days for the flower to become a fruit. April-October is usually the fruiting season.
“We are getting inquiries about growing dragon fruit at home. Some people put it out of curiosity. The most important requirement is that the plant should get enough sunlight. There should be no water logging. One must be careful about fungal attacks,” says Simi S, assistant professor (horticulture), department of fruit science, College of Agriculture, Vellayani. Kerala Agricultural University has started studies on the aspects of cultivation of exotic fruits including dragon fruit.
There are four types of fruits: red skin, white flesh (Hylocereus eggtus), red skin, red flesh (Hylocereus polarizus), red skin, purple flesh (Hylocereus costaricensis) and yellow skin, white flesh (Hylocereus (Selenicerus) Megalanthus)
The cost of these plants starts from ₹100 and the fruits these days cost ₹200-250 per kg. Thodupuzha science teacher Aneeth Thomas started growing it two years ago after being fascinated by the vine and the fruit. Now he has started commercial farming. “It is an easy-to-maintain plant. I have been getting a lot of inquiries since I posted a video about its cultivation on my YouTube channel. I also sell stem cuttings for Rs 75 per piece,” she says.
Baby Girija, a housewife, also has plans to go professional, even though she is yet to get the first fruits from her plant. “I was infatuated with the taste of the fruit and that is why I bought the cuttings. I have some land nearby, which I think would be ideal for growing it on a large scale,” she adds.
Meanwhile, there are early birds in the field such as Anita CS, who had a vision for the fruit at a time when the cost of cutting a stem was ₹300-350! “Four years ago during a trip to Kodaikanal, I found a nursery from where I got a cutting for ₹35. Flowers came after two years. Now I grow fruit in six pots on my terrace. I get at least 10 fruits from one plant, which I usually give as gifts to friends and relatives,” says Anita, assistant director of the Farm Information Bureau.
While Vietnam is the world leader in dragon fruit supply, other dragon fruit producing countries include China, Mexico, Colombia, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the United States. Though India lags far behind in production, according to a bulletin on dragon fruit cultivation in India published by ICAR-National Institute of Abiotic Stress Management (NIASM), Pune in December 2020, the area under cultivation of dragon fruit has increased manifold . . Production increased to 12,000 metric tons in 2020 in an area of 3000–4000 hectares (ha) (this was just 4 hectares and increased to 400 hectares between 2005–2017).
In Kerala, the State Horticulture Mission is giving a subsidy of Rs 30,000 per hectare for dragon fruit cultivation. Meanwhile, Pangode panchayat in Thiruvananthapuram has taken steps to become the first dragon fruit panchayat in the state inspired by the success story of Thannichal KK Vijayan in the panchayat. He grows a variety of fruits in 15 acres. “When I started it on commercial basis in 2014) very few people were cultivating it. Things are starting to show up now and people are coming to my farm to harvest their homes or to start small-scale farming,” he says.
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