The Dragon fruit have not only found a home in Fiji but have also gained immense popularity, serving as a prime example of successful agricultural innovation and collaboration.

The journey to this achievement has been paved with high-quality produce, consumer admiration, and unwavering support from our local farmers.

Dragon fruit originates from Central and South America and was introduced in the 1990s for commercial cultivation in tropical countries in South Asia.

Today, it is widely cultivated throughout tropical and subtropical regions in the world. In Fiji, dragon fruit farming is an emerging industry and although wild dragon fruit can be found throughout the country, there was no commercial cultivation in the past, and it wasn't available in the market.

Through partnerships in 2020, the Fiji Agriculture Research Institute partnered with a few technical partners to implement a nationwide orchard program to promote dragon fruit cultivation.

As of today, 14 farmers in Fiji are engaged in promoting dragon fruit cultivation.

The success of dragon fruit in Fiji is rooted in their exceptional quality, making them favorites among consumers.

The main advantages of growing Dragon Fruit is that it is high in demand and fetches a high profit and when compared to vegetable cultivation, it does not require chemical spraying.

Dragon Fruit unlike other fruit plants is a good source of income during the rainy season.

Mr Atish Kumar of Buabua in Lautoka can attest to the wonders of Dragon Fruit as his farm hosted other farmers in the Western Division for a Farmer Field Day on Wednesday 30th April.

Mr. Kumar is one of the project farmers in the orchard program and through continuous guidance from the Ministry and its partners, he began cultivating dragon fruit.

The hardworking farmer has around 800 dragon fruit plants covering about 0.5 acres, making him the largest dragon fruit grower in the Western division.

This season, Mr. Kumar has already harvested 960 kilograms of dragon fruit, with sales revenue reaching FJD $14,000.00. The production from his Dragon fruit farm has not yet reached its peak and it is estimated that his yield will double next year.

He hopes to continue expanding his farm and is also encouraging farmers across Fiji to tap into Dragon Fruit farming.

“We all have to continue working hard to grow the agricultural sector in all aspects. I have not regretted it since I started and I encourage women and youths with arable land to seriously think of farming for a living.”

-ENDS-

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