A hundred litchi trees, 300 mahogany trees, and 900 mango trees – this was the landscape across a 36-acre plot in Bichara village, Jharkhand, back in 2020. The land had been leased by 43-year-old farmer Chaitanya Kumar Ganjhu, who was determined to build something lasting.
Every inch of the land was carefully revived to create a thriving orchard. But just three years later, even before the trees had matured, a fire reduced everything to ashes. To this day, Ganjhu does not know who set the blaze.
Heartbroken, he could not even claim insurance because no police official was willing to register a complaint.
“I didn’t have insurance or any supporting document to establish my claim, and I returned home empty-handed,” Ganjhu tells The Better India.
The ideal species is Opuntia ficus-indica, often referred to as the spineless cactus, which thrives in Indian agroclimatic conditions, particularly in plateau areas such as Jharkhand.
His farming journey had begun much earlier. In 2015, he had planned to start a lac farm, but limited resources forced him to change course. Instead, he began planting host trees, including 1,200 Indian jujube trees, only to lose them all in the devastating fire.
Spineless cactus showed the way
Looking back, Ganjhu now calls the fire a turning point.
The tragedy left behind a vast stretch of empty land, forcing him to rethink what he could grow next. While exploring new opportunities in 2024, he learnt about central and state government efforts to promote cactus cultivation. Curious, he reached out to an engineer friend, who suggested that spineless cactus could be worth exploring.
“I was excited because cactus farming was completely new to me. During my research, I discovered that natural leather can also be produced using Opuntia ficus-indica, a spineless cactus variety. Our native cactus has thorns, but this one doesn’t,” he says.
Determined to learn more, Ganjhu spent weeks researching online before connecting with the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA).
He saw cactus as more than an experimental crop. Unlike lac farming, which generates income only twice a year, cactus offered the possibility of a steadier source of earnings. Encouraged by the government’s support for the crop, he contacted ICARDA’s centre in Amlaha, Madhya Pradesh, to understand how to begin.
Spineless cactus requires very little water, stays green even through harsh summers, and grows well in poor soils.
What impressed him most was its resilience.
Spineless cactus requires very little water, stays green even through harsh summers, and grows well in poor soils. Because it has no thorns, it can also be used as nutritious fodder for livestock.
Confident that the crop had potential, Ganjhu purchased 10,000 cactus cladodes from ICARDA at Rs 10 each. In November 2024, he planted them across 2.5 acres of land at Gamhariya Jaltanda, becoming the first farmer in Jharkhand to cultivate spineless cactus on this scale.
Today, his nursery has the capacity to produce nearly two lakh cactus plants every year. He currently grows 25 varieties.
Among them, varieties such as Oretha de Elefante Africana, IPA-90-73, Copena V1, Mexica Folder-1278 and Additional-1258, sourced from Brazil, have performed particularly well. Each produces around 10 cladodes annually, compared to two or three from many of the other varieties. The slower-growing varieties, he says, are better suited for research than commercial cultivation.
Water for irrigation comes from a solar-powered borewell. During summer, the plants are watered every five to six days because of the poor soil quality. In cooler months, watering once every 15 days is usually enough. Cow dung manure is applied twice a year.
According to Dr Shiv Kumar Agrawal, Regional Coordinator for ICARDA’s South Asia and China Regional Program and Head of the Food Legume Research Platform, grafting is unnecessary for spineless cactus because of the plant’s natural ability to regenerate.
“Grafting is not practised at ICARDA because, scientifically, Opuntia already has a high intrinsic regenerative capacity—its cladodes can readily form roots and new shoots without the need for a rootstock. Therefore, grafting does not provide a significant additional advantage in biomass production,” explains Dr Agrawal.
“Ganjhu is the only farmer to develop a cactus nursery in India. ICARDA introduced this technique and trained district-level officers and officials from the Watershed Development Department, but only Ganjhu took the initiative. Today, he is successfully growing healthy, disease-free spineless cactus in Jharkhand,” says Dr Neha Tiwari, National Associate Scientist at ICARDA, Amlaha.
Commercial opportunities in cactus farming
What began as an experiment soon turned into a business opportunity.
“The saplings are essentially cladodes,” Ganjhu explains. “When I received an order for 30,000 saplings, I started pruning the mother plants, which made them shorter. I spoke to Dr Neha, who suggested growing them in polybags. From a single cladode, I was able to raise six to eight new saplings and fulfil the entire order.”
Each sapling takes about four months to grow in a polybag.
To meet the demand, Ganjhu employed around 60 women from nearby villages to help prepare and nurture the saplings, creating an additional source of income for them.
The economics, he says, are encouraging.
A single cladode costs him about Rs 10. From that one cladode, he can grow six saplings, which together sell for around Rs 60. Even after accounting for labour, polybags, soil, irrigation and four months of care, he earns a profit of roughly Rs 25 from a single cladode.
His first year was largely about recovering his investment. He spent around Rs 3 lakh procuring planting material and generated almost the same amount through sales.
“It has reached the break-even point,” he says. “Now the real profits will come.”
Last year alone, he sold around 30,000 cladodes and saplings at Rs 10 each, including transportation costs.
Last year alone, he sold around 30,000 cladodes and saplings at Rs 10 each, including transportation costs.
The cactus also serves another purpose on his farm.
“I feed it to my goats. During summer, when grass becomes scarce, spineless cactus is a good source of nutrition because it contains high protein,” he says.
Now, he is waiting for the next big order.
Betting on a growing sector
Ganjhu believes the timing couldn’t be better.
The Government of India has identified spineless cactus cultivation as one of the focus areas under the Viksit Bharat framework. In Jharkhand, a project has been planned to cultivate nearly two lakh cactus plants across 400 hectares in different districts.
For Ganjhu, this could create a significant opportunity.
“If such projects need saplings, where will they source them from?” he asks with a smile.
His goal is to become one of the state’s key suppliers. Based on the number of cladodes currently available, he estimates he can produce close to four lakh saplings, creating a business worth nearly Rs 40 lakh while generating employment for many rural women.
He also plans to participate in future tenders as cactus cultivation expands.
Inspiring other farmers
Ganjhu’s success has already begun influencing neighbouring farmers.
Last July, around 15 farmers from Raniyan village, nearly 40 km away in Khunti district, visited his farm after hearing about spineless cactus cultivation. They collected saplings and began planting them on their own land.
These farmers are part of the state’s cactus promotion initiative, launched in 2025, under which ICARDA has supported growers with free planting material, manure and assistance for land preparation.
According to Ganjhu, nearly 40% of the participating farmers have successfully established their plantations.
“The department is encouraging farmers to form a cactus growers’ association,” he says. “Even people who visit my farm often take home 10 or 12 saplings to plant. Slowly, people are beginning to see cactus differently.”
He enjoys introducing visitors to the wide range of cactus varieties growing on his farm.
One of his favourites is Oretha de Elefante Africana, a slender variety that produces fewer cladodes but each weighing nearly half a kilogram.
Another, popularly known as the Rabbit Cactus, gets its name from its distinctive pads that resemble rabbit ears.
The familiar prickly pear variety also has commercial value. It is used in salads by restaurants and is cooked as a vegetable in several hilly regions.
More than an ornamental plant
Most people associate cactus with decorative pots or desert landscapes.
But spineless cactus has far greater agricultural potential.
Broadly, cacti are classified into ornamental, fruit-bearing and fodder varieties. Among these, spineless cactus has emerged as one of the most promising crops because it is easy to handle and serves multiple purposes.
Researchers often describe it using the “5F” principle: food, fodder, fuel, fertiliser and fashion.
Besides providing nutritious livestock feed, it can contribute to biogas production, organic fertiliser and even bio-leather, opening up new income opportunities for farmers.
“The most suitable species is Opuntia ficus-indica, commonly known as nopal or spineless cactus,” says Dr Neha Tiwari.
“It adapts well to Indian agro-climatic conditions, including plateau regions like Jharkhand. It tolerates drought, fluctuating temperatures and poor soils, making it ideal for rain-fed and degraded lands.”
Chaitanya Ganjhu cultivates two lakh cactus plants on his 2.5-acre farm.
Under field conditions, the plants can grow up to six or seven feet tall, depending on the variety and cultivation practices.
Unlike seasonal crops, cactus does not have a fixed maturity period. However, farmers can begin harvesting cladodes around 10 to 12 months after planting, once the plant has established itself with four or five healthy cladodes.
A crop built for the future
For Ganjhu, spineless cactus is more than a profitable crop. He believes it could help farmers make better use of degraded land while opening up new income streams.
“Our native cactus has no commercial value because of its thorns. But spineless cactus can change that,” he says. “The soil conditions in Jharkhand are similar to those in parts of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal. If governments continue promoting it, many farmers could benefit.”
Experts agree.
According to Dr Neha Tiwari, National Associate Scientist at ICARDA, Opuntia ficus-indica, commonly known as spineless cactus or nopal, is well suited to Jharkhand’s climate because it can tolerate drought, poor soils and fluctuating temperatures.
Beyond providing nutritious fodder, the crop has multiple uses. It can be processed into biogas, organic fertiliser and bio-leather, while also contributing to carbon sequestration. Since it requires relatively little water and maintenance once established, researchers see it as a promising option for climate-resilient farming.
The initial investment is estimated at Rs 80,000 to Rs 1 lakh per hectare, excluding fencing. However, because the crop remains productive for 15 to 20 years, the long-term maintenance costs are relatively low.
For Ganjhu, the bigger challenge is not cultivation but creating a market.
“The biggest hurdle is finding buyers,” he says. “At present, much of the produce is sent to a processing unit in Uttar Pradesh. If Jharkhand had its own processing unit, it would create jobs and increase farmers’ incomes.”
Demand, however, appears to be growing.
ICARDA has been working with the Jharkhand government to promote spineless cactus cultivation by supplying planting material and technical support. As more farmers take up the crop and government-led projects expand, Ganjhu hopes his nursery will become a key source of quality saplings across the state.
From ridicule to recognition
When Ganjhu first began planting Indian jujube trees years ago, many people in his village laughed at him.
“They thought I was wasting my time because those trees already grew everywhere,” he recalls.
This time, when he introduced spineless cactus, there was scepticism again.
But his family stood firmly beside him.
Having seen his success in lac farming over the years, they trusted his instincts and encouraged him to continue experimenting.
That confidence helped him build a better life.
Income from lac farming enabled him to buy first a two-wheeler and later a four-wheeler. He also purchased land to build a house.
In 2010, he received an award from the Jharkhand Chief Minister for his contribution to lac production.
A farmer who kept looking ahead
The fourth of six siblings, Ganjhu grew up in a lower-middle-class farming family.
His late father cultivated paddy, oilseeds and vegetables using traditional methods.
He attended State Samposhit High School, where three teachers taught nearly 1,000 students.
“The teachers would write questions on the blackboard before moving to another classroom because there were so many students,” he recalls.
After completing school, he earned a BA (Honours) degree from Birsa College in 2003.
Finding a job proved difficult.
Instead, he discovered an opportunity in lac farming and has specialised in producing high-quality ‘Bihan’ lac since 2006.
Today, he is married and has two sons. When he is not working on the farm, he enjoys travelling and watching cricket.
Looking beyond his own farm
Despite becoming India’s first farmer to establish a commercial spineless cactus nursery, Ganjhu says he is only getting started.
His long-term goal is to create a cooperative that can help farmers move beyond cultivation into processing and value addition.
“Cactus can be used to produce biogas. The residue becomes fertiliser, and it can also be used to make bio-leather,” he says.
For him, the dream is no longer just about growing cactus.
It is about creating an entire ecosystem around a crop that many once dismissed.
After watching thousands of trees disappear in a single fire, Ganjhu could have walked away from farming altogether.
Instead, he chose to begin again.
Today, the same land that was once reduced to ashes is helping introduce a new crop to Jharkhand — one that could create livelihoods, strengthen climate-resilient farming and inspire more farmers to believe that sometimes, the boldest ideas are the ones worth planting.
