Project report for Dragon Fruit Farming

Dragon Fruits were introduced in India as a Home garden fruit, But later it become the part of agriculture sector. Now, the country produces approximately 12,000 tonnes of the fruit every year. It is a fast return perennial fruit crop with economic production in the first year after planting, and full production within three to five years. The low maintenance and high profitability of dragon fruits has attracted the farming community throughout India. It gained wider popularity among farmers due to its profitability and Its high in nutraceutical properties fuel the market growth in India and out side India. It has high export potential.

Dragon fruit a herbaceous perennial climbing cactus, widely known as Red Pitaya, has recently drawn much attention among the Indian growers, not only because of its attractive red or pink colour and economic value as fruit, but also valued for its high antioxidant potential, vitamins and minerals content. The dragon fruit, is a fruit from Central America, South America, and Asia. It has a light sweet taste, an intense shape and colour, and has a texture of between that of a kiwi and an apple. In addition to being tasty and refreshing, it contains a lot of water and other important minerals with varied nutritional ingredients. Due to high demand both in domestic and international markets, dragon fruit production could be an economical avocation to both backyard growers as well as entrepreneurs of medium and large scale plantations. Cultivation of dragon fruit already started in different parts of India with many success stories of farmer from different regions. Many nursery men started propagation for raising planting material of dragon fruit. One of the widely grown cultivars and most commonly available dragon fruit is the red colour pericarp with white and pink pulped sub-sweet juicy pulp matrix.

The average yield is 5–6 tonne per acre while market price is around Rs. 200/ per kg. The recurring cost has been worked out around Rs 80,000 to One Lakh per tonne, by successful growers. Therefore deducting all expenses net profit comes closer to Rs 4.50 lacs per acre over first 2 years. Dragon fruit has high water content and is a good source of iron, magnesium, vitamin B, phosphorus, protein, calcium, and fibre. The fruit’s edible seeds are also nutritious and have been proved to lower the risk of cardiovascular disorders. Dragon fruit is a low-calorie fruit that is high in fibre and contains a good amount of vitamins and minerals. The dragon fruit market is growing at a robust rate, owing to the increasing demand for fresh dragon fruit. Additionally, the demand for exotic tropical fruit is on the rise in recent years due to various health benefits that they offer and an overall increase in disposable income of the consumers, especially in developing nations. In Europe, although the dragon fruit is relatively new and is not widely advertised, still the market is very promising and attracting more and more consumers. These are the major factors that are driving the market growth of dragon fruits.? Health-conscious consumers are increasingly demanding dragon fruit, especially in the United States. Dragon fruit is available in the United States year-round, however, is also imported from a few different countries. The international trade in dragon fruit mainly revolves around major exporters like countries in South East Asia and Central America which represents the maximum share of the entire international trade of dragon fruits.