Dragon Fruit Cultivation In Bihar : Assessing The Mukhyamantri Bagwani Mission And Dragon Fruit Vikas Yojana , 2025 -26

Policy Update

Manisha Kumari

Background

Bihar’s agricultural future may increasingly depend not only on how much it produces, but also on what it produces and how much value farmers can obtain from it. In this context, the emergence of dragon fruit, or Kamalam, offers an interesting case of agricultural diversification. Once considered an exotic fruit in Indian markets, dragon fruit has gradually entered India’s commercial horticulture landscape.While dragon fruit is promoted nationally under MIDH,Bihar has introduced a separate state-funded Dragon Fruit Vikas Yojana under the Mukhyamantri Bagwani Mission ,the two are complementary, with MIDH providing the broader technical and institutional horticulture ecosystem and the Bihar scheme providing state-level financial and implementation support for crop expansion.

The national horticulture sector provides an important backdrop to this initiative. According to the Press Information Bureau (PIB), India’s horticultural area is expected to reach 301.51 lakh hectares in 2025–26, while horticultural production is estimated at 3,777.76 lakh tonnes, an increase of 1.90 per cent over 2024–25. The growing importance of horticulture reflects a gradual shift towards fruits, vegetables and other high-value crops as instruments of agricultural diversification.

Dragon fruit is a relatively new crop in India, but its cultivation has expanded across several States. In a PIB release dated 13 July 2022, the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare reported that approximately 3,000 hectares were under dragon-fruit cultivation in India. The same release stated that, under MIDH, area expansion of 4,133 hectares had been targeted in 2021–22 across identified States. It also mentioned a five-year plan to expand the area under Kamalam from about 4,000 hectares to 50,000 hectares.

A subsequent PIB release dated 13 March 2023 reported that the area under dragon fruit had risen to more than 3,000 hectares and reiterated the national target of expanding cultivation to 50,000 hectares in five years under MIDH. These figures should not be interpreted as a direct year-on-year increase from 3,000 to 4,000 hectares, as the releases refer to different reference points and programme targets. The figures instead indicate the early stage of India’s policy push to expand domestic dragon-fruit cultivation.

This national push provides the context for Bihar’s intervention. The state is attempting to bring a high-value, relatively new horticultural crop into selected farming areas, but the real policy question is whether cultivation can develop into a commercially sustainable activity rather than remaining dependent on government assistance.

Objective

The Dragon Fruit Vikas Yojana is a component of the umbrella Mukhyamantri Bagwani Mission, implemented by the Department of Agriculture, Government of Bihar. Its principal objective is to promote commercial horticulture by increasing the area under dragon-fruit cultivation in selected districts of the state and providing financial assistance to eligible farmers.

The policy is significant because it approaches diversification through a specific commercial crop rather than through a general horticulture subsidy. The intention is to encourage farmers to consider dragon fruit as a viable agricultural enterprise while creating an institutional mechanism for planting material and financial support.

The geographical targeting of the programme also indicates a phased approach. The official Bihar Horticulture Directorate’s 2025–26 application portal identifies 23 districts for the scheme: Araria, Aurangabad, Begusarai, Bhagalpur, Bhojpur, Buxar, Darbhanga, Gaya, Jamui, Kaimur, Katihar, Kishanganj, Lakhisarai, Madhepura, Munger, Muzaffarpur, Nawada, Purnia, Rohtas, Samastipur, Saran, Sheikhpura and Siwan.

Target Beneficiaries

The scheme is designed for ryot farmers in the identified districts. Under the current official 2025–26 application framework, farmers can seek assistance for a minimum area of 0.25 acre, equivalent to 0.1 hectare, and a maximum of 5 acres, equivalent to 2 hectares. The applicant is required to satisfy the prescribed land-related documentation requirements and register through the designated system for receiving benefits.

The scheme also incorporates social targeting. The prescribed beneficiary allocation is 78.56 per cent for the General Category, 20 per cent for Scheduled Castes and 1.44 per cent for Scheduled Tribes, while 30 per cent participation is earmarked for women. Beneficiary selection is based on the first-come, first-served principle. These provisions give the programme a broader dimension than simple crop promotion by attempting to ensure representation of different beneficiary groups.

The emphasis on direct benefit transfer is also relevant to implementation. A DBT-based system can make the transfer of financial assistance more transparent and reduce dependence on intermediate payment channels, although its effectiveness ultimately depends on farmers having proper documentation and access to the registration process.

Key Provisions

The most important provision of the 2025–26 Dragon Fruit Vikas Yojana is its financial assistance for plantation establishment. According to the official Bihar Horticulture Directorate application page, the assistance is ₹1.62 lakh per hectare in the first year and ₹1.08 lakh per hectare in the second year. The cost of planting material is adjusted against the applicable assistance.

The two-stage support structure is relevant because dragon fruit is a perennial crop. The farmer must establish the plantation before obtaining sustained production. Government information on the crop notes that dragon fruit has a long productive life and begins giving economic yields after establishment. The assistance can therefore help reduce part of the financial pressure during the initial phase.

Another important provision concerns planting material. The Bihar Horticulture Directorate has undertaken procurement and empanelment processes for dragon-fruit planting material, and the scheme provides for planting material to be supplied through agencies selected through the prescribed tendering process. This is particularly important because the performance of a perennial plantation depends substantially on the quality of the planting material used.

The scheme should consequently be understood as a combination of financial assistance, area expansion and institutional support for plantation establishment, rather than merely a subsidy programme.

Functioning

The functioning of the scheme follows an online farmer-oriented application and assistance mechanism. Eligible ryot farmers from the notified districts apply through the Directorate of Horticulture’s designated online system after fulfilling the prescribed land and registration requirements. The scheme information specifies that beneficiaries are selected on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to eligibility and availability under the programme.

After selection, the farmer receives assistance according to the prescribed scheme norms, while planting material is supplied through the institutional procurement mechanism. The Directorate’s involvement in arranging planting material is significant because it allows the state to exercise greater control over the source of material supplied under the programme.

The wider horticultural policy environment also provides useful support for the scheme. Under MIDH, the Union government has supported quality planting material, micro-irrigation, technology transfer, post-harvest management and marketing infrastructure. PIB reported that, from 2014–15 to July 2025, an additional 15.66 lakh hectares had been brought under horticulture through MIDH interventions. During the preceding five years, 55,748 post-harvest management infrastructures and 11,140 marketing infrastructures had also been established under the mission.

For Bihar, connecting the state scheme with the wider horticultural ecosystem is important for achieving sustainable commercial outcomes. Dragon fruit cannot become commercially successful merely because more farmers plant it. Farmers also need appropriate irrigation, technical guidance, harvesting practices, aggregation, transportation and access to buyers. These factors directly influence measurable outcomes such as plant survival, yield per hectare, production cost, farm-gate price and ultimately farmer income. The experience of the national dragon-fruit programme reinforces this point. At the National Conclave on Kamalam (Dragon Fruit) held in 2022, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare highlighted the need for a long-term strategy covering cultivation, post-harvest management, marketing, processing and value addition, along with a cluster-based approach for the crop.mission.

Performance

The performance of Bihar’s Dragon Fruit Vikas Yojana should be assessed cautiously because the scheme is still at an early stage of implementation. The official Bihar Horticulture portal currently displays 526 applications under the Dragon Fruit Vikas Yojana for 2025–26, indicating initial farmer interest in the programme. However, applications should not be treated as beneficiaries or as evidence of completed plantation. The financial records provide a clearer indication of implementation.

The Bihar Directorate of Horticulture approved a total outlay of ₹300 lakh for the three-year period 2024–25 to 2026–27 under the Mukhyamantri Bagwani Mission. For 2025–26, ₹60 lakh was sanctioned, of which an official sanction order dated 29 August 2025 records ₹21.156 lakh as authorised for withdrawal and expenditure. This demonstrates that the scheme had moved beyond policy approval to financial implementation during the year. At the same time, the available official records do not yet provide sufficient Bihar-specific evidence on plantation survival, actual area successfully brought under cultivation, yield per hectare, production costs, farm-gate prices or changes in farmers’ income under the 2025–26 intervention.

Therefore, the present evidence can establish programme uptake and financial progress, but not yet its ultimate economic impact.For a meaningful assessment, future monitoring should track the number of beneficiaries actually receiving assistance, area planted and surviving, productivity per hectare, cultivation cost, farm-gate price and net farmer income. This would help distinguish between simple expansion of cultivation and the more important objective of establishing dragon fruit as a commercially sustainable crop in Bihar.

At the national level, dragon-fruit production provides useful context but should not be presented as evidence of Bihar’s scheme performance. PIB data show that India’s recorded dragon-fruit production increased from 21 thousand tonnes in 2022–23 to 54 thousand tonnes in 2023–24 and 72 thousand tonnes in 2024–25. These figures demonstrate growing national production, but they cannot be attributed directly to Bihar’s Dragon Fruit Vikas Yojana.

Table: Key Features of the Dragon Fruit Vikas Yojana, 2025–26

COMPONENT	OFFICIAL PROVISION
Umbrella Scheme	Mukhyamantri Bagwani Mission
Implementing department	Department of Agriculture,Government of Bihar
Crop	Dragon of Agriculture,Government Of Bihar
District Coverage	23 Districts
Eligible Farmer	Ryot Farmer
Minimum Area	0.25 acre/0.1 ha
Maximum Area	5 acres /2 ha
First Year Assistance	₹ 1.62 lakh/ ha
Second Year Assistance	₹ 1.08 lakh /ha
Beneficiary Selection	First-come ,first served
General Category allocation	78.56%
SC allocation	20%
ST allocation	1.44%
Women Participation	30%

Source: Directorate of Horticulture , Department of Agriculture ,Government of Bihar,official 2025-26 scheme information.

Impact

1. Agricultural diversification:

The scheme can help Bihar farmers diversify beyond conventional crops by introducing dragon fruit as a commercial horticultural crop. This is particularly relevant as horticulture offers opportunities for higher-value agricultural production.

2. Potential income opportunities:

Financial assistance during the initial plantation stage can reduce part of the establishment burden on farmers. However, the actual impact on farmer income will depend on productivity, cultivation costs and market prices.

3. Expansion of horticultural markets:

As cultivation expands, demand can increase for planting material, irrigation, farm structures, harvesting, transportation, grading and packaging, potentially creating a wider local horticultural ecosystem.

4. Import substitution:

PIB has noted that India’s domestic dragon-fruit production has historically been insufficient to meet demand, resulting in imports. Expanding domestic cultivation, including through state-level initiatives such as Bihar’s scheme, can contribute to greater domestic availability and reduce import dependence.

5. Market and export potential:

India has already exported dragon fruit to international markets. This demonstrates that the crop has potential beyond local consumption, although Bihar would need appropriate aggregation, quality standards, packaging and market linkages to benefit from such opportunities.

6. Social inclusion:

The scheme’s prescribed beneficiary allocation, including participation provisions for women and representation of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, provides

an opportunity to extend the benefits of horticultural diversification to different sections of the farming community.

7. Long-term value-chain development:

The greatest potential impact may come from developing a complete dragon-fruit value chain in Bihar from quality planting material and cultivation to post-harvest handling, processing and marketing.

Emerging Issues/Challenges

The first challenge is the high initial establishment cost of dragon-fruit cultivation. The crop requires supporting structures and other initial investments, which can discourage farmers from adopting it despite its long productive life. This makes timely financial assistance particularly important during the establishment phase.

A second concern is quality planting material and technical management. Since dragon fruit is still a relatively new commercial crop for many farmers, access to reliable planting material, appropriate cultivation practices and technical guidance is essential. Weak extension support could affect plant establishment, productivity and the long-term viability of orchards.

The third challenge relates to irrigation, disease management and post-harvest handling. Although dragon fruit is comparatively water-efficient, irrigation remains important during critical growth stages and in hot and dry conditions. Disease management is equally important because fungal diseases can affect plant health and productivity.

Another important issue is market access and price realisation. As cultivation expands, farmers will need reliable channels for aggregation, grading, packaging, transportation and marketing. Without adequate market linkages, increased production may not necessarily translate into higher farm incomes. Strengthening processing and value addition can help reduce this risk.

Finally, there is a risk of equating area expansion with programme success. The real test for Bihar will be whether supported plantations survive, achieve satisfactory productivity and generate sustainable returns for farmers after government assistance declines. Therefore, monitoring should move beyond the number of plantations created and examine outcomes at the farm level.

Way Forward

The future of dragon-fruit cultivation in Bihar will depend on whether the state can move from subsidising plantation to building a complete value chain. Financial assistance remains important because establishment costs can discourage farmers from adopting a new perennial crop, but subsidy-led expansion alone will not ensure sustainable returns.

The first priority should be sustained technical extension. Farmers need locally relevant guidance on plantation design, irrigation, nutrition, disease management and harvesting. Demonstration farms and farmer training can reduce the uncertainty associated with adopting a crop that is relatively new to many cultivators.

The second priority should be quality planting material. Bihar’s existing institutional mechanism for procuring and supplying planting material should be accompanied by quality monitoring so that farmers receive reliable material suited to commercial cultivation.

The third priority is market development. As production increases, farmers will need collective marketing, grading, packaging and transportation facilities. Farmer Producer Organisations can help small growers aggregate their produce and improve their bargaining position. The Union government’s emphasis on post-harvest infrastructure, marketing and value addition under MIDH provides a broader policy framework that Bihar can build upon.

Finally, the state should institutionalise outcome-based monitoring. Every subsequent expansion of the programme should be informed by evidence on plant survival, productivity, production costs, prices and farmer income. Such monitoring would ensure that the scheme evolves from an area-expansion programme into a genuinely farmer-centred horticultural intervention.

The Dragon Fruit Vikas Yojana is therefore an important but still emerging experiment in Bihar’s agricultural diversification. Its significance lies not in the novelty of the fruit itself, but in whether Bihar can create the conditions under which a new crop becomes a dependable economic activity for farmers. The ultimate measure of the policy will be the transition from planting dragon fruit to profitably producing and marketing dragon fruit.

Selected References and Important Links

1. Government of India, myScheme. Mukhyamantri Bagwani Mission: Dragon Fruit Vikas Yojana, Bihar.

https://www.myscheme.gov.in/schemes/mbydfvy

2. Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India. (2023, 13 March). Kamalam (Dragon Fruit) cultivation area in India expected to expand to 50,000 hectares in five years under MIDH scheme from the present 3,000 ha. Press Information Bureau. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1906572&lang=2&reg=48

3. National Portal of India, Government of India. (2026, 2 August). Dragon Fruit | ODOP | Explore India — Kishanganj, Bihar.

https://www.india.gov.in/explore-india/odop/details/dragon-fruit

About the Contributor

Manisha Kumari is a Research and Editorial Intern at the Impact and Policy Research Institute (IMPRI) and a B.A Liberal Studies

(Major Public Policy) graduate from Jagran Lakecity University ,Bhopal . Her research interests lie in public policy , governance , sustainable development ,social justice , and evidence based policymaking with a particular focus on analysing government policies and programmes to assess their effectiveness and contribution to inclusive and sustainable development.