Dragon Fruit: Innovative Farming Practices by the Pawar Family Showcase Resilience in Drought-Prone Regions
Dragon Fruit: Innovative Farming Practices by the Pawar Family Showcase Resilience in Drought-Prone Regions
Innovative farming practices by the Pawar family showcase the resilience and adaptability of agriculture in drought-prone areas.
Bhimrao and Ashok Pawar from Parbhani district have successfully experimented with cultivating two varieties of dragon fruit across two acres in Jamb, offering a promising alternative amid the persistent drought conditions faced by farmers in the region. With many farmers uprooting their orchards due to water scarcity, the Pawar family has embraced innovative agricultural practices to overcome these challenges.
Bhimrao Pawar, who retired from the Forest Department, and his son Ashok have a long history of farming in the area. After acquiring six acres of land in 1980, they initially cultivated traditional seasonal crops. However, faced with the harsh realities of drought, they had to shift their focus to more resilient farming practices.
In 2008, a drought led to the drying up of their mosambi orchard, and by 2009, they were compelled to demolish their orange orchard due to similar circumstances. The family subsequently transitioned to rain-fed crops like soybeans, cotton and tur, but these did not guarantee a stable income. In a bid to strengthen their irrigation sources, they deepened an existing well to a total depth of 90 feet, significantly increasing their water storage capacity.
The Pawar family discovered dragon fruit while in the Mumbai market, learning that it thrives with minimal water, making it an ideal crop for their drought-prone conditions. After gathering more information, they sourced seedlings from Hyderabad and Bangalore. In June 2018, they planted dragon fruit, using a combination of two varieties: one with red skin and white flesh and another with red skin and red flesh (jumbo variety).
With meticulous planning, they established a robust planting system, spacing the poles and trees strategically. Initially, they invested approximately four lakh rupees per acre for cultivation. The fruiting season runs from June to November, coinciding with the rainy season, which alleviates concerns over water stress. To manage excess water during monsoons, drainage grooves were dug between rows.
The white dragon fruit variety boasts higher productivity, but the jumbo red variety is preferred by consumers for its sweeter taste and commands higher prices, ranging from Rs 120 to 150 per kg. Fresh fruit is sold directly to traders, while retail prices can reach Rs 200 per kg in Parbhani city. The Pawars have established several sales stalls and even provide home delivery services.
Ashok Pawar has taken on a leadership role as the director of the Maha Dragon Fruit Association, offering guidance and training to farmers on cultivation, marketing, and processing. He has also initiated a dragon fruit nursery to further support local growers. Notably, Gujarat currently leads in dragon fruit cultivation, but Ashok is optimistic about Maharashtra’s potential to excel in this area, especially with North India emerging as a significant market.
Looking to the future, the Pawar family plans to establish a processing industry for dragon fruit products and has started agri-tourism initiatives. They are also diversifying their crops by planting 100 trees of the NMK Gold variety of cilantro in their orange orchards, alongside cultivating chillies, brinjals, tomatoes, and other crops using mulching techniques.
Through their innovative practices and community engagement, the Pawar family is setting an inspiring example of resilience in the face of drought, demonstrating the potential of dragon fruit farming as a sustainable agricultural alternative.
