Dragon fruit craze: Scam or hot deal

A piece of the dragon fruit. Meru farmer Antony Kinoti has over 10,000 dragon fruit trees in his farm at Kiagu. He sells a piece at a minimum of Sh500

It looks strange: like it’s part a plant and part an animal. Its skin mimics that of a dragon – which, of course, is a mythological creature.

The dragon fruit does live to its name. It has a shock effect when you see it for the first time. It leaves you flustered with curiosity.

What does it taste like? Is the fruit imported or grown locally? How does the dragon fruit tree look like? And, if you have the Midas touch, how much does it retail at?

The plant that yields dragon fruits is a cactus: not a woody tree. The fruit is unique but its taste overlaps with that of the kiwi fruit, peach, pears, and watermelon.

There are no anthropological studies – done in Kenya – about the dragon fruit. However, based on available evidence, it is likely that if you ate the fruit before 2010, it was most likely imported.

“It is synonymous with people from Asia: especially the Chinese,” says Antony Mugambi, one of a handful of dragon fruit farmers in Kenya.

Kenya experienced an influx of Chinese nationals towards the end of the 2000s as the government signed infrastructure deals with Chinese companies.

Could this explain how the fruit found its way into the Kenyan psyche? “Perhaps,” notes Mugambi.

He continues: “Myself, I made the decision to grow dragon fruits following insights from a Chinese friend.”

Around 2012, Mugambi says, he got curious as to what makes Asians look healthier and live longer (on average) compared to Africans.

Superfood

His Chinese friend told him that Asians eat lots of fruits. Some super fruits, his friend said, were consumed daily.

“The dragon fruit is one of them,” he says. “That is the time I decided to grow the fruit.”

Mugambi says his initial research yielded little information. No Kenyan seemed to know about it. He went on with research: plying library routes and scouring the World Wide Web.

The dragon fruit, he found out, was highly regarded as medicinal. It had superior nutritional qualities compared to other fruits, and was thus highly sort after.

Mugambi extracted seeds from a fruit his friend had gifted him. The first dragon fruit crop I planted emanated from those seeds.

Mugambi’s story is the oldest evidence we have of dragon fruit being farmed in Kenya. No one knows, for certain, the exact moment – if any – the first dragon fruit vine was planted in the country as well as its origin.

It is illegal to introduce a new species into the country. Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis) regulates importation of new plant species.

Waweru Murimi, another dragon fruit farmer, imported his vines from South Africa in 2016.

Murimi owns an acre dragon fruit farm located off Kangundo road in Machakos County.

“When I got interested in dragon fruit farming there was nowhere to buy planting material: I made calls and looked around I just couldn’t find one,” he says.

Prior to this search, Murimi says he had been scammed out of his Sh8,000: money he paid to a friend who promised to get him ready to cuttings. He did not want to waste any more money seeking the elusive vines.

Through his research online, Murimi was able to learn about a South African farmer – a pioneer of dragon fruit farming in sub-Saharan Africa.

“I got his contacts and reached out. I ordered 100 cuttings ready for planting. I went through the whole process with Kephis. First, I had to apply for permit to import the cuttings. Then I sent the permit to South Africa.

Pest management

“South African authorities performed phytosanitary tests. They ascertained that the cuttings were healthy and not carrying any diseases or pests. Then the process of actual shipping took over. The cuttings came by ship over a two-week period,” he says.

Murimi imported two varieties: “the purple haze and Vietnamese white.”

His farm todays has close to 2,000 plants. He produces an average of five tonnes of dragon fruit per year.

Antony Kinoti at his dragon fruit farm in Kathuure village, Central Imenti, Meru County. [Phares Mutembei, Standard]

According to Mugambi – a self-taught dragon fruit farmer and expert – a farmer can yield anything between four and 10 tonnes of harvest annually.

Currently dragon fruit farm gate price is Sh1, 000 per kilogramme. Potentially though, one could sell his/her produce at Sh3,000 per kilogramme. The fruit therefore holds the record for the most expensive fruit in Kenya.

“In 2015, I saw a kilo retail at Sh2,500 at the defunct Nakumatt supermarket,” Mugambi says.

Both farmers say demand is sky-high.

“We cannot meet local demand. It is just not possible,” they say.

Murimi says he already has orders lined up: waiting for future harvests.

Every few years – mostly in agribusiness – the public becomes fixated on a fad.

‘Is the dragon fruit a fad?’ I ask Mugambi. To which he passionately says, ‘No’.

Emerging crop

“This is real. This is a crop. It is not magic. You have to put in the work though. It does not come easy,” he says.

Mugambi has 20 acres under dragon fruit. He is rapidly expanding the farm and by the end of 2021, he’ll have increased acreage to 40. Murimi, like Mugambi, is targeting to expand too.

The future, they say, is looking good for dragon fruit farmers.

Dr Joseph Njuguna, a researcher at Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro), at their horticulture station in Thika, says dragon fruit is largely exotic.

As the chief public research institution on farming matters one of Kalro’s tasks is to develop propagation materials for crops. According to Njuguna though, the agency has not done much on dragon fruits.

“We classify the dragon fruit as an emerging crop. These are crops that have a lot of potential yet haven’t been fully utilised,” he says.

According to Njuguna, it is only a matter of time before Kalro takes it up, saying, “Our job would be to introduce superior varieties of the crop.”

Mugambi is certain that fortunes for dragon fruit farmers will only get better considering that its utilisation is still low level.

Winemaking

With value addition, he says, the crop use in winemaking, manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, in the cosmetic industry, to make toothpaste, to manufacture shower gels and in making top-line juices.

“This fruit has lots of potential. Yet, in Kenya, we have just started eating it,” he says. “Literally everything on a dragon fruit has use.”

Largely unregulated

Unlike more familiar fruits like mango and avocado, the dragon fruit is largely unregulated due to the fact that it is largely mysterious.

Those importing the vines, or buying from established farmers locally, are having a field day with it. And while it is true that it fetches a lot, one can predictably tell that as more farmers take it up and production goes up, supply and demand forces will eventually bring the price down.