Dragon Fruit Cultivation Brings ₹1.25 Lakh Per Acre Income to Uma Shukla and Prakash Narayan Shukla

Raipur, March 2026 : Mrs. Uma Shukla, a farmer from Kulhariya village in Bagbahara block of Mahasamund district, has achieved remarkable success in agriculture by adopting advanced dragon fruit cultivation under the National Horticulture Mission’s area expansion scheme.

Earlier, she practiced traditional paddy farming on her 1.62 hectares of land, producing an average yield of 15 to 18 quintals per acre. Despite having 1.00 hectare of irrigated land and 0.60 hectare of unirrigated land, the income from conventional farming remained limited and did not provide the expected returns.

With guidance from the Horticulture Department, the Shukla couple shifted to modern dragon fruit cultivation on their land. By adopting improved techniques, they significantly enhanced both the quality and productivity of their crop. According to Mrs. Shukla, in the very first year of cultivation, they achieved a yield of around 40 quintals per acre.

The produce was sold in the Mahasamund and Bagbahara markets at an average price of ₹80 per kilogram, resulting in a net income of approximately ₹1,25,000 per acre. In comparison, their earlier earnings from paddy cultivation were minimal after deducting costs.

Although the initial investment in dragon fruit farming is relatively high, the better market price and higher yield have led to a substantial increase in overall profits.

Mrs. Uma Shukla’s success story has inspired many farmers in the surrounding areas. Encouraged by her achievements, several farmers are now moving away from traditional crops and showing interest in horticulture-based farming for better income opportunities.