The sweet success of a tea plucker-turned-dragon fruit farmer

Abha Toppo, 48, of Barajharujote village in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal recalls her journey from a pitifully paid tea garden labourer to a successful dragon fruit farmer. Read her story in her own words.

I was born in a poor family. My father was a small farmer in a remote village in Jharkhand’s Simdega district. 

I have two younger brothers. The income of my father was barely enough to run the household. So he decided to get me married since couldn’t afford to send me to school beyond Class IX. 

I was 18 when I got married to Bhushan Toppo of Barajharujote village in Darjeeling district.

I had dreams of a better, more financially secure life after marriage. But all my hopes were dashed.  My husband was also a farmer and we struggled to arrange three square meals a day.  

I was depressed and felt that I was falling deeper into the same pit.

After we had a son and a daughter I decided to work in a tea garden as a labourer since my husband’s income was not enough. 

Four years after marriage I started working as a tea plucker in a local tea garden. 

I used to get Rs 35 per day for eight hours in the tea garden. I worked as a plucker for the next 16 years.

In 2012 some agriculture scientists visited our village and suggested that women could grow dragon fruit and earn money. 

I wondered what it was! 

I’d never seen or heard of dragon fruit before. Then I learnt it grows in a cactus plant.

The other women were reluctant as they weren’t ready to take the risk. 

I told my husband about it. I thought he might refuse. But to my surprise, he was keen and asked me to grow them. 

So I went to North Bengal University and attended a workshop to learn dragon fruit farming. 

I bought cuttings and tied each to a concrete pillar.  

I was apprehensive in the beginning. 

But flowers started blooming and the plants started bearing fruits in 18 months. I got around 5 kg of dragon fruit. I sold them for Rs 400 per kg. It was a handsome profit.  

I quit the tea garden job and started growing dragon fruit in 123 pillars in my 15 kottahs of (quarter acre) land.

My husband helps me. At the market we sell the fruit directly to customers to maximise our profits. I sell at Rs 300-400 per kg.

The demand was at an all-time high during the pandemic since doctors had suggested consumption of the fruit helped boost immunity.

My annual production is about 5 tonnes. I make a profit of Rs 2 lakhs every season, which is May to November.

I train other farmers and earn a little from that too. They’ll also earn more when they start growing it.   

I’ve raised my children and built a new house because of dragon fruit. 

I’m quite happy to be known as the first woman to start dragon fruit farming in North Bengal! I took a risk and it paid off. 

Inspired by my success, many women have started to harvest dragon fruit.