Tk 10 lakh on 4,000 dragon fruit plants on a leased acre; Tk 12 lakh of fruit sold in the first full season
A final-year degree student in Keshabpur, Jashore, set up a dragon fruit orchard on one leased acre in January 2022 with family support. Within about a year the capital came back and this season he hopes to sell Tk 15 lakh of fruit.
A final-year degree student in Keshabpur, Jashore, leased 100 shatak (one acre) of land beside the Jashore-Chuknagar road in January 2022 and began a dragon fruit orchard alongside his studies. With family financial support, it has cost about Tk 10 lakh in all. About 4,000 plants were set around 1,000 concrete poles with tyres and rods, and the orchard holds three to four varieties. He got some fruit in June 2022 and has begun selling commercially this year. Early in the season he got up to Tk 600 a kilo; now wholesale is Tk 250-300. So far this season he has sold about Tk 12 lakh of fruit, and on one Monday alone 1,000 kg was picked. He hopes to sell about Tk 15 lakh by season's end, with a profit after costs of Tk 3 to 3.5 lakh. In just a year the capital came back in the first round. Most fruit shops in Keshabpur sell his dragon fruit, and it also goes to Jashore, Chuknagar, Khulna and Dhaka. Five workers work regularly in the orchard, each paid Tk 9,000 a month. The upazila agriculture office gave training at the start and advice from time to time.
Lessons
- 1.You can grow dragon fruit on leased land, but poles, plants and labour need large capital up front; here it came to about Tk 10 lakh.
- 2.The early-season price (Tk 600) and later wholesale price (Tk 250-300) differ a lot; budget on the average price.
- 3.A roadside orchard finds local shops and passers-by as buyers; training from the agriculture office cuts early mistakes.
We published this with the person's permission, without revealing who they are.
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