Tricky dragon fruit: don't give up; fine-tune!

Dragon fruit farming in South Africa has been fraught with challenges, resulting in many undertakings being abandoned. But perseverance pays off, and through constant fine-tuning, Freddie Steyn has triumphed. He shared his recipe for success with Lindi Botha.

- By Lindi Botha

Dragon fruit's striking appearance has lured many a consumer, only to leave some with mixed reactions. If the right variety, produced optimally, was sampled, consumers are delighted. But having bitten into bland fruit, the appeal of dragon fruit's unique appearance quickly fades. Herein lies the conundrum for local producers: which varieties should be planted, and how should they be managed?

Dragon fruit originated in South America, but Vietnam is currently the world's largest producer. Production information in English is few and far between. Complicating matters further is that South Africa's production conditions vary greatly from those in the Americas and Asia. Add the host of varieties available that offer varying levels of flavour and sweetness, and it is no surprise that dragon fruit farming in South Africa is particularly challenging.

Freddie Steyn, dragon fruit farmer near Mbombela, Mpumalanga, was one of the first local producers to plant the crop, establishing a 4ha block in 2014.

"By 2019, we were seriously considering removing the dragon fruit. We had a lot of challenges – we weren't getting good yields, the plants were riddled with fungal diseases, and sunburn was excessive. The market was also difficult since dragon fruit was still quite unknown."

But through trialling different varieties and fine-tuning management practices, Steyn's yields are nearing 20t/ha, double that achieved in 2021. The fruit's average Brix level is at 17, and this year 92% of the harvested fruit was marketed, with 50% destined for export markets.

Steyn recently hosted a farmers' day on their family farm, Kuifkop Beleggings, to share the lessons he has learnt.

SETTING UP THE ORCHARD