Blossoming hub of dragon fruit cultivation: Mirzapur leads UP's 260-hectare expansion; govt plans support centre
Dragon fruit cultivation is gaining traction in Uttar Pradesh, particularly in Mirzapur, due to its profitability and health benefits
LUCKNOW: The cultivation of dragon fruit or 'Kamalam', an exotic fruit originally from Central America and Mexico which is emerging as a super crop worldwide given its health and medicinal benefits, is emerging as a profitable venture in Uttar Pradesh.
Dragon fruit is tolerant to abiotic stresses, pests, and diseases. It has a low requirement for water and nutrients, gives multiple harvests in a year, sustains high yield up to 20 years, and has high nutraceutical and functional properties, being rich in antioxidants and fibers.
Though it is highly perishable, having a shelf life of 5-7 days at ambient Indian conditions, it can be processed into various value-added products.
Dragon Fruit In India& Uttar Pradesh
Though dragon fruit was introduced in India in the late 1990s and between 2005 and 2017 the area under its cultivation increased from 4 to 400 hectares in different states, it wasn't until 2024 that Uttar Pradesh embraced this exotic fruit on a commercial scale, with Mirzapur emerging as a key player.
According to the eye-estimated data (based on interaction with farmers and ocular estimates) of the state horticulture department, dragon fruit is commercially grown over 260 hectares in UP, and the average yield per hectare was nine metric tonnes in 2024-25.
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The most commonly grown variety of the fruit in UP is red-skinned with red flesh.
'The initial investment is high for growing dragon fruit, as it requires making cemented pillars for plants to grow and take support of,' said sources in the horticulture department.
However, it is one of the fastest returning perennial fruit crops, assuming full production within five years of plantation. Given the lesser number of commercial producers of dragon fruit in the country and an ever-increasing demand because of its health and medicinal benefits, its cultivation is a profitable venture.
Under the centrally-sponsored Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) scheme, farmers in the country are given a 40% subsidy on the input cost of over Rs 6,75,000 lakh per hectare for the commercial cultivation of dragon fruit, provided the survival of the crop is 80% in the first year.
Mirzapur, The New Hub
Commercial cultivation of dragon fruit is being carried out in several districts in UP, such as Sonbhadra, Jaunpur, Kushinagar, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Basti, Ambedkarnagar, Hardoi, Ghazipur, and Barabanki.
However, it is Mirzapur that has taken the lead as its climate has proven particularly conducive to dragon fruit cultivation, allowing the crop to flourish.
In 2024-25, the region cultivated crops over 100 hectares, out of a total of 260 hectares where the crop was grown in UP in the last financial year.
As Mirzapur continues to cultivate this vibrant fruit, it not only boosts the local economy but also positions itself as a pivotal hub in the agricultural landscape.
The Way Ahead
In 2025-26, the state govt plans to bring in 200 hectares more under dragon fruit cultivation in the state by covering new farmers under the scheme.
Not only this, the govt is also considering setting up an exclusive centre of excellence for dragon fruit in Mirzapur's Deoria Kalan village to provide high-quality planting material to farmers and train them in its cultivation and processing.
'The reason why the govt is encouraging more and more farmers to grow it on a commercial level is because it can be grown in a wide range of agro-climatic zones, including areas of high temperature and water scarcity regions,' said sources. The govt is keen to promote its commercial cultivation in the Bundelkhand and Vindhya regions.
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