Coimbatore: Dragon fruit has only a mild taste. But farmers in Coimbatore district, who are known for exploring new crops, seem to have made dragon fruit cultivation a sweet and fruitful experiment. Its cultivation has spread to all the 12 blocks in Coimbatore district in the last seven years.Farmers experiment with the exotic crop in plots as small as 20 cents. Requiring less water and maintenance, the dragon fruit is emerging as a potential alternative crop, though high initial costs and falling prices remain as concerns.S Suresh, assistant director of horticulture, Thondamuthur block, said cultivation began at Theethipalayam around seven years ago. “Dragon fruit is now cultivated from 20 cents onwards across the district,” he said.A cactus variety, the crop performs well in dry and rainfed areas and requires only around 20% of the water used for banana cultivation. However, clayey soil, water stagnation and excessive rainfall are unsuitable for it.The plants require concrete or stone pillars, trellises and other support structures, resulting in high establishment costs. Once planted, they can yield for 20 to 30 years. Though flowering may begin within six to eight months, farmers are advised to remove the initial flowers and wait three to three and a half years for stronger plants and better long-term yields.T R Ponnusamy, who introduced the crop commercially in Coimbatore, expanded cultivation from two acres in 2019 to nine acres now. He invested around Rs 12 lakh per acre and cultivates Moroccan red, Malaysian red, Jumbo red, Mexican red, Israeli yellow and C varieties. Ponnusamy said he recovered his investment in four years, helped by an initial farm-gate price of Rs 180 per kg. Prices have since declined to Rs 60–80 due to arrivals from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Vietnam and the influence of intermediaries.His farm produced 45 tonne in 2024, when the fruit fetched Rs 125 per kg. Output increased to 70 tonne in 2025, but the price dropped to around Rs 100. “Farmers need at least Rs 100 per kg to make cultivation viable,” he said.Growers have formed a WhatsApp group to facilitate direct sales and reduce dependence on intermediaries. Ponnusamy sought govt support for processing facilities and value-added products. Temperatures above 38°C could affect the crop, requiring protective measures, he added.T Karthikeyan, 35, a natural farmer from Palathurai, planted 400 saplings on half an acre in 2022 at a cost of Rs 2 lakh. He harvested 300kg in 2024 and 700kg in 2025 and expects one tonne this year. Flowering begins around March, and harvesting continues until November. Once the plants begin producing, fruits can be harvested at intervals of 15 to 25 days. He sells directly to apartment residents in Chennai and Bengaluru.Suresh said white-fleshed dragon fruit generally has a mild taste, while red-fleshed varieties are relatively sweeter. Though it has not yet become a widely consumed standalone fruit like banana or mango, it has found takers for use in salads and food decoration.The Union govt is seeking to promote domestic cultivation in view of rising imports, the crop’s low water requirement and drought tolerance. The horticulture department is working to popularise it among farmers at the district level. Coimbatore’s official horticulture network has block-level offices, including in Thondamuthur, to implement cultivation-support programmes and provide technical guidance to farmers.
