After dedicating 36 years of her life to educating young minds as a zoology teacher and later serving as a headmistress in a government school, Remabhai S finally embraced retirement in 2022. Little did she know that her retirement would mark the beginning of a deeply fulfilling journey into the world of dragon fruit farming.

Grieving the loss of her mother, who passed away around the same time, Remabhai found solace and purpose in cultivating exotic fruits as a hobby. “My mother lived with my sister, whose house is adjacent to mine. Whenever I would come home after school in the evening, she would be waiting for me. She would lovingly welcome and hug me,” she says.

“My father died when I was 15. She looked after all of us 13 siblings. She was a very strong lady. After her death, I felt lonely as there was no one left to welcome me in the lonely house,” adds Remabhai, who lives in Kollam, Kerala.

With her husband engaged in work and her son residing far away in Delhi, the 58-year-old turned to her terrace as a sanctuary where she could channel her energy and emotions into nurturing plants.

Driven by her son’s insights on the myriad health benefits of dragon fruit, including its ability to lower cholesterol and improve vision, Remabhai set out on a mission to cultivate this unique fruit.

She now harvests about 500 kg of dragon fruit every month from her........

© The Better India