A dragon fruit orchard built for about Tk 20 lakh; expecting Tk 15–16 lakh a year, Tk 12 lakh already earned this year

A 42-year-old man from Budda village, Noagaon union, Sarail upazila, Brahmanbaria, used to work as a contractor in Chattogram. Inspired by the profitable dragon fruit farming he saw there, he moved into agriculture about three years ago. In September 2020 he leased 3 acres of fallow land on the bank of the Titas for 10 years at Tk 7 lakh. On 1.80 acres he planted 6,000 red, white and pink saplings beside 1,500 poles, buying each sapling at Tk 50 to 200. The orchard has cost about Tk 20 lakh in all. Fruiting began a year after planting, but full-scale yields have come only this year. He now sells 800 to 1,000 kg of fruit a month at Tk 250 to 300 per kg, and on top of that sells Tk 25,000–30,000 worth of saplings monthly. Monthly costs, including one employee, are Tk 25,000. By his estimate yearly income will be Tk 15–16 lakh, of which Tk 12 lakh has come so far this year. Between the plants he has begun growing watermelon as an intercrop, with bottle gourd and pumpkin alongside, and he also keeps cattle and goats. Dragon fruit plants live 25 to 30 years, so he can expect fruit for that long. Monsoon water entered the orchard last year without harming the plants. The upazila agriculture officer says this is the only dragon orchard in Sarail and that he will soon be given a free kit to make organic fertiliser.