Ramabhai S, a retired headmistress from Kollam in Kerala, started dragon fruit cultivation after learning about its various health benefits. What began as a small hobby post-retirement has now evolved into a major agri-business for this 58-year-old, who now easily earns over Rs 40,000 monthly from just her four cents of land.
Although Ramabhai has now planted dragon fruit on over one acre of land after felling rubber trees, she says she gained the confidence to undertake large-scale dragon fruit farming after successfully growing the fruit on four cents of land and earning close to Rs 40,000 per month from selling it. “I planted dragon fruits in 50 barrels on the four cents of land. I also followed a soilless planting method and used only organic manures. When people heard about my organic dragon fruit cultivation, they started coming from distant places to buy them,” Ramabhai told “Open Digest.”
When this zoology teacher decided to take up farming after retirement, she was adamant about practicing only organic farming. “I realized that organic farming is an expensive endeavor due to the high cost of organic fertilizers. So I decided to make my own organic fertilizers and started conducting thorough research on it,” she said.
After various trials, Ramabhai was able to develop a fertilizer that yielded better results from her plants. “I use dry leaves, vegetable waste, and fish amino, among other natural ingredients, to make the bio-fertilizer. My mission is to make bio-fertilizers more affordable for farmers. We make bio-fertilizers from all sorts of natural ingredients,” she said.
Ramabhai has also started a YouTube channel called JC’s World to share her expertise in bio-fertilizer making and dragon fruit cultivation.
She says she has never had difficulty finding buyers for her dragon fruits. “People come to me asking for dragon fruits. Since I cultivate the fruit organically, there is a huge demand for it,” she said. Ramabhai advises everyone that if they have the determination to put in their best efforts, organic farming can be an excellent farming option that will yield handsome returns. She can be contacted at 9349937641.
