You ask, why plant dragon fruits in the first place?
- They have low
maintenance cost.
- Dragon fruits are highly nutritious.
- Require minimal
after care.
- They can be
planted in an area that has limited space.
- Dragon fruits are
fast return perennial fruit crop with production expected from 18-24 months
after planting
- Once grown you
can harvest for more than 20 years
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| Dragon Fruit Farming Field |
Dragon fruits have been cultivated in Kenya for just
about 5 years now but its awareness has spread to all the corners of our
country. A kilogram of the fruit sells for between ksh. 500 and ksh. 1,000 in the
Kenyan supermarket chains. They come in a variety of Red/Pink, White and
Yellow, all these with a vibrant appearance that makes it a feast for the eyes.
While information about dragon fruit farming is still not readily available in Kenya, Richfarm is always visiting farmers to educate them on the best ways of producing the fruit. We have also been holding dragon fruit farming seminars at our Embu farm. We always want you to start off your project from an informed position. That is why we have covered this topic in an online guide on how to grow dragon fruits in Kenya.
What Conditions are Best for Dragon Fruit Farming in Kenya
The dragon fruit is in the family of cactus, therefore this fruit is adapted to grow even in arid and semi-arid conditions. It requires less water. It is also not selective on the type of soils meaning you can grow it on sandy, loamy or clay soils. However, for your plants to have good vegetative growth and a high yield, the soils must have high organic matter and be well drained. You should also ensure that you give them just a little water during the very dry seasons.
You may ask, can I grow dragon fruits in our Kenyan highlands?
While
this crop has the ability to grow even in hot and dry areas, it doesn't mean it
can't grow in cooler areas with a lot of rainfall. All you need to do is ensure
that the soils are well-drained to avoid soaking the rooting area.
Supporting Structures
The major constraint is the use of trellises. Dragon
fruit plants are vine-like and need support hence the need of posts either
concrete or wooden. You must make them a support structure
over which to climb. The supporting posts are placed in the middle of the
planting hole well in advance before planting. For best growth and fruit
production plant dragon in an area that receives enough sunlight and less
wind. Dragon plants require less water compared to other fruit plants.
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| Dragon Fruits with Support Structures |
A post with a wide structure at the top will be sufficient to support 2 to 4 vines. The plants will climb up to the top and then spread forming something like an umbrella and this helps in them giving good yields.
Propagation and Varieties
Dragon
fruit seedlings are mostly propagated by cuttings. There are five main dragon
fruit types:
- Pink fruit skin with white flesh
- Red fruit skin with red flesh
- Red fruit skin with white flesh
- Yellow fruit skin with white flesh
- Yellow fruit skin with red flesh
What is the Required Spacing for Dragon Fruits?
The
recommended spacing for dragon fruit is 2m between the lines and 2m from pole
to pole within the line. With this spacing, you will plant 2,000 dragon fruit
plants in an acre if you establish 2 plants per pole. That is the number we
actually recommend. However, we have seen other successful spacing in practice:
the commercial farm in Naivasha has a spacing of 2m between the lines and 1m
from pole to pole and 2 plants per pole. In other farms, they plant 4 plants
per pole and have had successful yield.
How long do dragon fruits take to mature?
It
will take 1 to one and a half years for a dragon fruit vine to produce the
first fruit if you plant it from the cutting of a mature vine. A vine
propagated from a seed will take more than 6 years to mature hence the best
method to propagate dragon fruits is through cuttings. The lifespan of dragon
fruit plants is over 40 years.
A
dragon fruit bud takes 13 days to develop into a flower from a node. This
flower opens up for pollination on the night of the 13th day –
just before the 14th day. This is the only chance that the
flower has to get pollinated. If pollination doesn’t happen then, the flower
will not grow into a fruit and will simply fall off the plant. If it is
successfully pollinated, it will develop into a fruit that will be ripe and
ready for harvesting after 38 days since pollination. That means it only takes
52 days from the day a fruit bud emerges to have a yummy fruit ready to be
eaten.
When
the fruits are growing, they are usually green in color. They start turning
into red color when they mature and the ripening process starts. The ripening
process takes only 3 days. You must harvest dragon fruits only after they are
completely ripe. This is because, unlike other fruits, Pitaya does not continue
to ripen after being harvested.
Currently,
the market for dragon fruits is open and ready for farmers to sell through the
many supermarket chains in the country, the open market, fruit aggregators and,
of course, the ever-present online market. The supermarkets that stock these
fruits in our country actually import it from other countries. This presents a
great opportunity for farmers who would want to invest in dragon fruit farming
in Kenya.
3 Reasons Why You Should Invest In Dragon Fruit Farming In
Kenya
Why Dragon Fruit Is Set
To Be The Next Big Thing In Kenya’s Farming Business
China
is the largest consumer of dragon fruits and it imports a bulk of the produce
from Vietnam. China is an open market to which Kenya is exporting avocado. With
the necessary volumes, dragon fruit farmers in Kenya can take advantage of the
Chinese and larger international market.
Pest and Diseases
Pest and diseases management
There are fewer disease and pest attacks. As a good
practice, prevention is better than cure. There may be cases of thrips, mealy
bugs and slug attack. Be on the watch out for any early signs of attack and act
to deter any attack. Anthracnose is the most significant disease.
The
greatest threat to dragon fruit farming is the fruit fly. Luckily, fruit flies
can be controlled using biological methods. The plant is also very tolerant to
diseases. Only mild cases of fungal infections have been reported, and even as
such, they do not pose any danger to the plant or fruits.
To
make a good profit from Dragon Fruit Farming you need to see that you do the
following:
1. Space:
A small space, even 1/8 of an acre is enough to start dragon fruit farming in
Kenya at the moment. Being a very high value crop, a few dragon fruit plants
are enough to make you realize economic gain. You do not need typically fertile
soils as the nutritional needs of this plant are not so high. You can actually
plant it even on the edges of the farm.
2.
Support
structures: Posts of about 5 feet (150cm) in height are good
enough. These can either be wooded or concrete. Concrete ones are best for
longevity. Soften the soil around the base of the post and hip it a little
especially if you are planting on clay soils that are not so well drained. Mix
the soil with a lot of manure to give it sufficient amounts of organic matter.
You only need soils that are about 2 feet (60cm) deep since the plants are
shallow rooters.
3. High-quality
seedlings: Plant dragon fruit seedlings developed from mature
cuttings only. Get mature, rooted dragon fruit cuttings from Richfarm Kenya by
simply calling, texting or WhatsApp at 0724698357. When planting, burry only
the rooting section of the cutting and water just enough to make the soil
moist.
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| Dragon Fruit Seedlings at our Farm |
Pruning and Training
Prune
your plant to remove all damaged or diseased stems. Ensure any stem that
touches the ground is removed. Train the main stem and tie it to the support
structure as the plant grows. Once the stem reaches the top, cut the tip to
induce branching.
Harvesting Your Dragon Fruit
The fruits are likely to be ready for harvest
45-50 days after fruit set. Fruit ripen at different times and should be
selectively harvested. You should carefully remove the fruits from the plant
for they are easily damaged. The average fruit weight is 300 grams but with
proper tree care and fruit thinning you can attain weight of between 850-1000
grams per fruit.
Post Harvest: Shelf-Life
You
can keep dragon fruits for up to 18 days after harvesting without
refrigeration. Under proper refrigeration, the fruit will remain fresh even for
3 months. This fruit is not perishable since it stops ripening immediately it
is cut off from the mother plant. Also, the fruit does not oxidize after being
cut. That means you do not have to consume the entire fruit once you have cut
it. You can keep a slice under refrigeration and it will look and taste as
fresh as when you first cut it.
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| Dragon Fruit Harvest |
Conclusion
If
you are entrepreneurial then dragon fruit could be an asset. But before heavily
investing take time to do test plants and familiarize yourself with the
cultivation process. Learn to do more using less, your establishment cost
should be minimal--we can assist in this area. Have a clear road map of who
your customers are and how your product will reach them. Is there market for
the fruit? Yes, but we believe it is your work too as an entrepreneur to find
market for your dragon fruit harvest.
Do you have any questions regarding dragon fruit farming in Kenya, or anywhere in Africa? Contact us on (+254) 0724698357/0723213602. We are always ready to answer any question and we would also be glad to come to your farm and assist in setting up your dragon fruit farming business.
- Cost
per seedling- Ksh. 350
- Seedlings
per acre- 2000 seedlings being 2 seedlings per pole structure.
- Spacing-
2m by 2m
- Fruit price- Ksh.500 - 1,000 retail depending on the market supply and demand.
- Common pests- minimal cases of thrips, mealy bugs and fruit flies
- Common
disease- Anthracnose
- Lifespan-
20 years
Frequently
Asked Questions
· What
are the cultivation requirements in dragon fruit farming?· How long after planting can I start getting the first fruit in dragon fruit farming?
· Can I export my dragon fruit?
· How is the local and export market?
· What is the dragon fruit harvest shelf life?
· How do I support my dragon plant?
· How do I care for the dragon plant for maximum yields?
