Yellow dragon fruit plant farming profit growing tips | STN

Dragon fruit farming profit is around Rs 10 lakh. Dragon plant growing tips shared in this blog post. 

Red dragon plant and yellow dragon fruit plants are expensive variety grown commercially. This desert plant takes 18 months to produce fruits commercially. Farmers are earning Rs 6 lakh to Rs 10 lakh per acre depending on fruit maintenance, quality and yield. Farming best practices and a gentle project report shared here. 

Dragon fruit information

It is detailed guide and almost every information is covered here. Basic information about this desert plant is given below for those who don't know anything about this expensive fruit.

Dragon plant profile

• Species - Cactus. 
• Nature - climbing. 
• Fruit weight (average) - 150-600 grams and some may reach 1 kg, 
• Plants per hectare (high density) - 1100 to 1500, 
• Dragon fruit plants per acre - 500 to 700. 
• Yield - 25-30 tons after 60 months.

Dragon fruit tree is cactus species belongs to tropical region. It grows on the Hylocereus cactus, also known as the Honolulu queen, whose flower only open at night. The tropical fruit native to the United States of America. It's taste is like a combination of a kiwi and a pear. It is also known as pitaya, pitahaya, and strawberry pear.

History 

Dragon fruit in Spanish is called fruta del dragon, Vietnam is the place where this plant is extensively grown. It is also known as pitaya fruit and Thalang loy. The super fruit was introduced to Vietnam by the French we can also say that French is the pitallas of pitaya, and today the average yield per hectare is 22-26 tonnes, that is a milestone itself.

According to Aztec literature Pitahaya fruit date back to the 13th century.

Malaysia is another warm region where dragon fruit grows. It was first introduced in 1999 in Sitiawan, Johar and Kuala Pilah regions. Colombia and Nicaragua are other places where pitahaya fruit is grown for commercial purposes.

These regions attest that Pitaya cactus fruit requires a warm climate, thus prospers well in semi-arid areas. Planting the fruit has great benefits since it's industrially used in juices, making wine and flavorings, not forgetting its medicinal value.

Yellow dragon fruit plant farming profit growing tips

Dragon fruit cultivation cost per acre

5 to 6 lakh per acre is the average required investment. Drip irrigation, leveling, labour installation included with good quality of plant costing 5 to 6 lakh per/acre.

It is a one time investment as the plant life is at least 20 years. It is a climbing cactus that need support to climb. Therefore plant it near a fence, build a trellis, or a climbing pole. It's extremely important for your fruit plant to be able to support itself.

Concrete is recommended as a strong support because the plant will grow 200 to 250 kg in 5 to 10 years (because of tons of fruits). Moreover, it is economically very good in comparison to steel and other materials; concrete pole usually survive for thirty years.

Around 450 to 500 concrete poles in one acre with the spacing of 8ft x 10ft can be installed in the farm.  

Must employ at least 1 labour or skilled worker for this commercial crop to manage a 1-acre fruit farm. Average labour cost Rs-6,000, per/month. For one year, the labour cost would be Rs 72,000 for one skilled labour/worker. 

Tree can produce few fruits after 8 months and lot more fruits after 2 years. It will increase producing fruits every year till 20 years; this is the most promising reason behind the ultimate success of this plant across the world. 

Try "C" variety plant because it is high yielding and fast-growing variety.  

Red pulp price is 160-250 Rs kg and white pulp price is only 70-80 Rs kg.

Dragon fruit farming profit per acre

Yes it is possible to earn 10 to 15 lakhs in a month from dragon fruit farming. 

The income from 1 acre dragon fruit is around 10 lakhs, after taking out the cost, you can get a net profit up to 5 lakhs, per acre in first year later it will increase. 

8 month old dragon fruit plant produces few fruits. To see dragon fruit on plant commercially, 16 months needed, it produces 6.5 ton per acre. Fruit production increases with the time after 2 years it may produce 10 to 12 ton fruits per acre.

Red pulp dragon fruit price is around 150-250 Rs/kg. If 10 ton fruits produced in an acre and sells in Rs 100/kg then also farmer is earning Rs 10 lakh in one year.

1 ton = 1016 kg ---> 10 ton (10x1016) will be = 10160 kg.

If selling price is 150 Rs per/kg ---> 150 x 10160 =  Rs15,24,000 Rs Fifteen lakh twenty four thousand is the profit.

I have given just an example you can calculate it by putting the actual value of the fruit which is around 150-250 Rs/kg in C type variety according to the region, market and availability. 

Don't forget to reduce dragon fruit farming cost of around Rs 5 to 6 lakh. Dragon fruit faming in India is gaining popularity day by day specially in south region.

How to start dragon fruit farming?

If you don't know how and where to plant dragon fruit then read the given info and start its cultivation.

Select best variety

1. Hylocereus undatus : White flesh with pink/red skin most popular in Australia.
2. Hylocereus Megalanthus : White flesh with yellow skin (yellow dragon fruit).
3. Hylocereus Costaricensis : Purple/red flesh and pink/red skin.

Hylocereus Megalanthus - This type of dragon fruit has a white fruit flesh and a yellow shell. The shell of this variation is a bit thornier than the rest of the variations, so it is rarer to see in a garden.

Hylocereus Undatus - This is a variation with same white flesh, but exterior of this fruit is red. 

Hylocereus Costaricensis - This type of fruit is red in colouration on both the shell and the flesh. The flesh is often a deep red colouration that looks almost unnatural or blood-like. 

What is the price of a dragon fruit plant cutting?

The cost of a dragon fruit sapling is Rs 30 to Rs 45. 

What climate does dragon fruit need?

It is a tropical climate fruit, needs warm weather and partial sunlight and heat, but that also should not be excessive.

It grows as cactus plant which love warm, humid climates and need very little water. These plants are a subtropical plant which needs at least 6 hours of sunlight per day.

Soil requirement

Pitahaya fruit can be grown on almost any soil; Sandy soils that have good irrigation are generally preferred. The PH of the soil should be between 5.5 to 6.5 for a good crop.

Fertilizer 

To ensure that dragon fruit is growing correctly, give some fertilizer every month during the active growing season. You can stop feeding your plants during cold winter months. 

Inorganic fertilizer has better control over nutrients and can be complimented with that of organic fertilizers.

Organic fertilizers like compost or manure releases nutrients more slowly. Therefore the combination with inorganics, whose release is faster, is a good option.

Apply fertilizer after 2 to 3 months from the planting period. During the 1st year fertilize every eight weeks with light doses. 

Start fertilizing a couple of inches from the stem later extend to 10-15 inches. After application make good irrigation. 

Water need

Dragon fruit is part of the cactus plant family, so it needs less water. It's always good to give less water. Watering dragon fruit plant depends on the climate, humidity and age of the plant.

Best time to plant dragon fruit

Dragon fruit plantation is done in summer's and early spring. Avoid planting in winters. These plants start bearing fruits after 8 months.  

Grow dragon fruit from cuttings

Cut a 6-15 inch (12-38cm) stem from a plant (the parent plant) at least 1 year old. Cut at an angle like pencil for best results. Let the cut stem heal for about a week in a dry place. 

Concrete pole for plant support and drip irrigation for watering is recommended.  

Growing dragon fruit from seeds

Seeds take more than 16 months to grow and produce fruits, while plant cutting only take 8 months to deliver first few fruits.

Slice a dragon fruit in half and collect seeds. Fill a small pot with sterile seed starter or cactus soil mix. Use a spoon to mix the seed into the top quarter-inch of soil.

Make sure this layer is moist and then cover with a plastic sandwich bag or clear food wrap. The cover will retain moisture and warmth. 

Dragon fruit harvesting

The fruit becomes ready for harvesting after one month of flowering. Fruiting time continues till December. Picking up these fruits can be done up to 6 times within this period.

An immature fruit colour is bright green and will turn into a red colour once it is ripened. The exact time for harvesting is 3 to 4 days of colour change. While exporting, they should be harvested one day after the colour change. NCBI provides information on pharmacological uses of the plants.  

For more details on- DRAGON FRUIT FARMING -watch this excellent video