From Army to Agriculture: 61-Year-Old Makes Rs 4 Lakh Growing Dragon Fruit
After serving the nation in the Indian Army and later the Odisha Police, most people would expect retirement to be a time to slow down. But for 61-year-old Pratap Chandra Roul , it marked the beginning of an entirely new journey.
The Balasore resident returned to his village with a dream of becoming a farmer. Today, that decision has turned a small 8,500 sq ft plot into a thriving organic dragon fruit farm that earns him up to Rs 4 lakh annually through fruit sales and saplings.
A New Mission After Retirement
Pratap, a resident of Mukulishi village in Odisha's Balasore district, joined the Indian Army in 1984 after completing his matriculation. He retired from the Army in 2010 and later served as a Havildar in the Odisha Police for another 10 years before taking voluntary retirement in 2020.
Instead of choosing a quiet retired life, he decided to enter farming despite having no agricultural experience.
Speaking about his decision, Pratap said, "I wanted to become a farmer and cultivate something that people in my area had not eaten before. I also wanted to prove that even a small piece of land can generate a good income if it is managed properly. So I zeroed in on dragon fruit farming ."
Learning Farming From Scratch
With no farming background, Pratap spent months researching different crops. He watched YouTube videos, joined online farming communities and interacted with experienced growers to understand which crop would suit Odisha's climate.
After careful study, dragon fruit stood out as the best choice.
"I realised dragon fruit requires comparatively less water, performs well in hot weather and once planted, it can remain productive for nearly 25 years. That convinced me to take the risk,," he explained.
Investing in Dragon Fruit Cultivation
In March 2022, Pratap invested around Rs 1.3 lakh to establish his farm. He bought 1,000 dragon fruit plants, installed concrete poles and GI pipes, and introduced seven premium varieties sourced from Gujarat, including Vietnam Red, Thai Jumbo, Moroccan Red, Hybrid Giant Red, Israeli Yellow, Taiwan Pink and White dragon fruit.
To make the most of his limited land, he adopted a high-density railing system instead of the traditional pole method, allowing him to grow more plants in the same area.
Early Failure Became a Lesson
The first harvest in March 2023 produced only about 50 kg of fruit, and the fruits were much smaller than expected.
Rather than giving up, Pratap analysed what had gone wrong.
"I was disappointed and didn’t even take them to the market. Instead of giving up, I decided to understand where I had gone wrong," he said.
Organic Methods Changed Everything
Pratap shifted entirely to organic farming and prepared his own natural fertiliser using cow dung, cow urine, earthworms, soil, fruit and vegetable waste, and onion waste.
The Balasore resident returned to his village with a dream of becoming a farmer. Today, that decision has turned a small 8,500 sq ft plot into a thriving organic dragon fruit farm that earns him up to Rs 4 lakh annually through fruit sales and saplings.
A New Mission After Retirement
Pratap, a resident of Mukulishi village in Odisha's Balasore district, joined the Indian Army in 1984 after completing his matriculation. He retired from the Army in 2010 and later served as a Havildar in the Odisha Police for another 10 years before taking voluntary retirement in 2020.Instead of choosing a quiet retired life, he decided to enter farming despite having no agricultural experience.
Speaking about his decision, Pratap said, "I wanted to become a farmer and cultivate something that people in my area had not eaten before. I also wanted to prove that even a small piece of land can generate a good income if it is managed properly. So I zeroed in on dragon fruit farming ."
Learning Farming From Scratch
With no farming background, Pratap spent months researching different crops. He watched YouTube videos, joined online farming communities and interacted with experienced growers to understand which crop would suit Odisha's climate. After careful study, dragon fruit stood out as the best choice.
"I realised dragon fruit requires comparatively less water, performs well in hot weather and once planted, it can remain productive for nearly 25 years. That convinced me to take the risk,," he explained.
Investing in Dragon Fruit Cultivation
In March 2022, Pratap invested around Rs 1.3 lakh to establish his farm. He bought 1,000 dragon fruit plants, installed concrete poles and GI pipes, and introduced seven premium varieties sourced from Gujarat, including Vietnam Red, Thai Jumbo, Moroccan Red, Hybrid Giant Red, Israeli Yellow, Taiwan Pink and White dragon fruit.To make the most of his limited land, he adopted a high-density railing system instead of the traditional pole method, allowing him to grow more plants in the same area.
Early Failure Became a Lesson
The first harvest in March 2023 produced only about 50 kg of fruit, and the fruits were much smaller than expected. Rather than giving up, Pratap analysed what had gone wrong.
"I was disappointed and didn’t even take them to the market. Instead of giving up, I decided to understand where I had gone wrong," he said.