After retiring from the bank job in the year 2017, KS Joseph from Kerala started a new journey in the field of agriculture and horticulture. He knew that there is no use of spending time sitting idle after retirement. Inspired to live amidst nature, he bought four acres of land on the picturesque hills of Athikayam village in Kerala. That land was ruined due to continuous cultivation for many years. Joseph first tried to plant mango plants on that land under difficult circumstances.
Six years ago, Joseph Karakadu, a resident of Changanassery in Kottayam, Kerala, went to the US to visit his son's family. That's when he tasted the sweet dragon fruit there for the first time. At that time, the price of dragon fruit was seven dollars. They saw a small sticker on the fruit, which read that the fruit was imported from an Ecuadorian company.
Joseph was curious when he saw the sticker, he searched for the name on the internet and read about the fruit. He was very happy to know that very little care is required while growing this fruit and in a few years good results are also visible.
Joseph also contacted the Ecuadorian company written on that sticker and the company agreed to send him some stems. He also imported some other varieties from America with the help of his family. Joseph not only returned to his homeland with a dragon fruit stem, but he decided that he would also build a nursery specifically for these fruits.
Today in the year 2022, Joseph is the owner of 'Karakadu Orchards', which sells 88 varieties of dragon fruit collected from several countries including Taiwan, Brazil, Philippines, Australia, Ecuador and the US.
Started business twice, but failed
Joseph, an industrial technician by profession, had no prior farming experience. He told, “I used to run the machine tool industry in Hyderabad for many years, but then there came a time when I just wanted to come back to my home, Kerala, so I set up the industry here too. But this time it was not as successful as before.
After that, I tried my luck in the electric vehicle industry too, but it didn't work out there either. Anyway, I was never ready to retire and live on my children's money and that is the result that I have reached here."
Joseph's three children live abroad. With the help of his children, 72-year-old Joseph started a dragon fruit nursery on 65 cents (0.65 acres) of land near his home. Most of Joseph's dragon fruit stem couriers first reach America and then are brought to India. Because it is a desert plant and requires very little water, its stems survive the journey.
Joseph explains, “I was surprised to learn that dragon fruit can be easily grown anywhere, regardless of climate or soil type. Yes, it is an exotic fruit, but you won't believe that it can tolerate everything, all kinds of weather. Even if you leave a stem in the field, roots will grow from it and within a few days the plant will easily take hold.”
Some new varieties of dragon fruit developed by themselves
Joseph claims that he has also developed some varieties of dragon fruit by himself. Two out of 10 varieties have been successfully grown in nursery. They have been named 'Lal Chili' and 'Wonder Boy'. “It takes at least five years to develop a new type of fruit and get it approved,” he says.
Joseph's major clients are farmers across the country. He receives bulk orders from Gujarat and Maharashtra and builds new plants on the basis of orders. He explains, “Since this plant grows rapidly and is wide, I do not plant many of them unless there is a large order. It takes up too much space."
To make a plant, 12-16 inch cuttings are planted in wide pots or pots. Before planting each stem on a commercial basis, Joseph tests the taste of its fruit. This step is very important, as there are hundreds of varieties of fruits, many of which are not so tasty.
What is its price?
The price of a stem of dragon fruit is based on the flavor and variety of the fruit. This price ranges from Rs 100 to Rs 1,200. For those who order it through courier, an additional fee is also added.
Red Jaina, Country Roads, Sugar Dragon, Frankie's Red and Colombian Yellow, Armando, American Beauty, Delight, Israel Yellow, Isis Gold, Palora, Natural Mystic, Lemon Orange, Venus, Oregon and Valdivia Rosa are some of the types of dragon fruits that Joseph sells. Each fruit weighs between 250 grams to 400 grams.
At least 6,000 stems of different types of fruits are sold every month. He says, “I grow it for commercial use, so it is fertilized and watered. But the truth is that this plant does not need any of these. You can grow them like this in a year or two. ,
Presently, Joseph is busy developing and getting approval for new varieties of fruits. They have also planned to sell fruits in the market.