Sindhuli youth leads the way in dragon fruit farming

Bharat Kafle, a resident of Harshahi in Dudhauli Municipality-6, Sindhuli, is an example for many, as he chose to stay in his homeland and contribute positively to his community, and it has paid off.

Kafle chose to engage in dragon fruit farming, which, according to Kafle, is doing well. In addition to generating a good income, he has also been able to create employment opportunities for five members of his family. Kafle believes that commercial farming not only provides self-employment but also benefits the entire nation by attracting others to the industry.

“This year, I earned Rs 1m by selling 20 quintals of dragon fruits at the rate of Rs 500 per kg. I made another Rs 300,000 by selling saplings. I still have 4,000 saplings in my nursery,” he added.

Over the past two years, Kafle has earned Rs 1.3m by selling dragon fruits cultivated on eight katthas of land. Scaling up his efforts, he has extended the cultivation to 18 katthas. He now has 3,500 plants supported by 930 poles. About 900 of these plants are currently yielding fruit. “Each of these 900 plants have produced fruits up to 17 times. Harvesting can be done thrice a year between May 15 and November 15. In the first year, each plant yielded 8 kg of fruit. Now, it has increased to 45 kg,” Kafle added.

After earning Rs 1.3m within just two years, Kafle, who previously managed a grocery store in Kathmandu, felt inspired to return to his village and expand his farm. He discontinued his shop merely two months after its initiation due to the outbreak of Covid-19. Despite the initial costs associated with dragon fruit farming, Kafle is confident that as earnings escalate each year, this venture remains a promising opportunity. Kafle utilized a Rs 200,000 subsidy received from the Agriculture Knowledge Center, Sindhuli, to install 200 additional poles to support his saplings. He has a plan to expand his farming to one and a half bighas this year.

He has planted the siam red variety of dragon fruit in his farm. The variety starts bearing 13 months after planting sapling. The lifespan of dragon fruit sapling is 25 years, Kafle added. Kafle advocates for the vast income potential and employment opportunities that commercial agriculture, coupled with modern technology and market-driven production, can offer in rural areas. “The promotion of commercial farming is important for Nepal's prosperity,” Kafle said, calling for government initiatives to attract unemployed youth toward sustainable commercial farming.