One crop changed everything: Meet the Maharashtra farmer who clocks ₹2 crore annual turnover by selling fruits

Dragon fruit is a fruit crop that produces edible fruit on plants suited to relatively low-water cultivation. That feature mattered in Solapur, Maharashtra, where the family farm operated in a dry region. A crop needing less water can fit better where reliable irrigation is difficult.

Mahesh’s father chose dragon fruit after reading about it in 2013-14. The family imported about 9,000 saplings from Bangladesh at a cost of around ₹9.9 lakh. Their first harvest came in 2015-16, producing about five tonnes per acre across three acres.

The crop proved commercially promising as well as practical. The first harvest brought ₹5 lakh, while prices reached ₹150 to ₹250 per kilogram by 2017. Dragon fruit now produces around 200 tonnes annually at Rukmini Farms. The family’s experience shows how a crop choice can match local water conditions and create new income opportunities.

Rukmini Farms expanded dramatically from its original three acres in Solapur. The farm now covers 60 acres and grows dragon fruit alongside pomegranates, custard apples and guavas. This growth transformed a trial crop into a diversified farming business.

The first dragon fruit harvest arrived in 2015-16. It yielded about five tonnes per acre, or roughly 15 tonnes across three acres. Selling that harvest brought ₹5 lakh. By 2017, the family was selling the fruit for ₹150 to ₹250 per kilogram.

Today, annual dragon fruit production stands at around 200 tonnes. Dragon fruit contributes approximately ₹1.25 crore annually, while other fruits help lift the farm’s total annual turnover to ₹2 crore. These figures show major expansion, but turnover is revenue, not confirmed net profit. The business grew through investment, technical learning and improved water management.

Replacing part of the family’s traditional crop pattern with dragon fruit changed both its income and direction. The decision introduced a different crop to the farm and created a commercial opportunity in a dry farming region. It also encouraged the family to learn, invest and apply technical methods.

The first harvest in 2015-16 produced about 15 tonnes across three acres and earned ₹5 lakh. By 2017, selling prices had risen to ₹150 to ₹250 per kilogram. Mahesh later added drip irrigation, farm ponds and machines for routine work such as weeding.

The result was a much larger enterprise. Rukmini Farms now covers 60 acres and grows several fruits. Dragon fruit production is around 200 tonnes annually, with about ₹1.25 crore in dragon fruit revenue. The farm’s total turnover reaches ₹2 crore. The article reports earnings and turnover, not confirmed net profit.

For farmers in dry Maharashtra regions, water is a basic limit on what can be grown. A crop with relatively low water needs may be easier to manage when rainfall or irrigation supplies are constrained. It can also make water use a more deliberate part of farm planning.

The Asabe family chose dragon fruit partly because of this characteristic. As the farm expanded, Mahesh introduced drip irrigation and farm ponds to strengthen its water facilities. These systems supported the move from traditional crops toward a larger fruit-growing operation.

The farm’s experience shows the practical importance of matching crops with local conditions. Dragon fruit became a foundation for expansion, reaching about 200 tonnes of annual production. Water management remains part of the farm’s operating model, alongside machinery and demonstration plots. The article does not quantify water savings, but it identifies low water needs as a key reason for the original choice.

Mahesh’s agricultural education gave the farm a scientific and technical direction. He completed a B.Tech in Agricultural Engineering and pursued an M.Tech covering Agricultural Engineering and Food Processing. He wanted to understand agriculture scientifically and improve farming practices.

A 45-day programme in Israel taught him about water management, modern farming methods and technology for increasing production. In 2018, he travelled to Vietnam to learn more about dragon fruit cultivation. After returning, he created one-acre demonstration plots to show different techniques.

That learning became visible in daily operations. Mahesh introduced drip irrigation and farm ponds, and used machines for routine work such as weeding. His education and travel therefore influenced both crop knowledge and farm infrastructure. The current farm combines dragon fruit with other fruits and produces around 200 tonnes of dragon fruit annually, showing how training supported expansion.

A farm may grow several fruits instead of relying on one crop because diversification can spread production and income across different products. If one crop performs poorly or faces weaker prices, other crops may still contribute revenue. This is a general farming principle; the article does not state Rukmini Farms’ specific reason for diversification.

At Rukmini Farms, dragon fruit remains the largest reported contributor, bringing around ₹1.25 crore annually. The farm also grows pomegranates, custard apples and guavas. Revenue from these other fruits helps raise total annual turnover to ₹2 crore.

The current model combines a successful specialist crop with a wider fruit portfolio. That structure gives the farm more than one source of produce and revenue, although the article provides no separate figures for each additional fruit. It also shows that the family’s expansion went beyond simply planting more dragon fruit. The farm now covers 60 acres and produces around 200 tonnes of dragon fruit each year.

Annual turnover means the total value of sales or revenue generated during a year. Net profit is different: it is the amount left after costs such as planting material, labour, irrigation, machinery, maintenance and other expenses are deducted. The two figures measure different stages of a business’s finances.

Rukmini Farms reports an annual turnover of ₹2 crore. Dragon fruit alone contributes around ₹1.25 crore, while pomegranates, custard apples and guavas provide additional revenue. The article also says the family bought about 9,000 saplings for around ₹9.9 lakh, showing that farm operations require investment.

Therefore, ₹2 crore describes the farm’s reported annual revenue, not the family’s personal earnings. The amount kept would depend on all operating and investment costs, which the article does not provide. It explicitly presents the figures as annual earnings and turnover rather than confirmed net profit.