Archive · 30 Aug 2026
Spineless Cactus Offers Farmers New Food, Fuel And Fashion Opportunities
Spineless cactus can grow where many regular crops struggle because it needs little water.
Researchers in Uruli Kanchan are studying how farmers can use it in many ways.
Animals can eat parts of the cactus as green fodder.
Its fruits can be made into juices, jams, candies and other foods.
The plant can also help produce biogas, which is a type of fuel.
Waste from making biogas can be used as organic fertiliser.
Researchers are also turning cactus into vegan leather.
This leather can be used for bags, wallets and belts.
The goal is to help farmers earn more money from dry or poor-quality land.
Researchers at the BAIF Rural Innovation Centre are studying spineless cactus for food, fodder, fuel, fertiliser and fashion products.
The drought-tolerant crop is being tested on poor soil, uneven terrain and land with limited water availability.
Cactus cladodes can provide green fodder for cattle, buffaloes, goats and sheep during dry periods.
Trials reported about 0.36 cubic metres of biogas per kilogram of dry matter, with methane content of 55–70%.
A cactus-based vegan leather unit in Uruli Kanchan is producing items such as laptop bags, wallets and belts.
- Who
- Researchers and trainers at the BAIF Rural Innovation Centre, including Vitthal Kauthale and Kailas Gavhane, are studying spineless cactus for farmers.
- What
- They are developing and testing uses for spineless cactus as a 5F crop: food, fuel, fodder, fertiliser and fashion.
- When
- BAIF says it has worked on cactus research and applications for more than a decade; current trials and demonstrations are continuing.
- Where
- The work is centred at the BAIF Rural Innovation Centre in Uruli Kanchan, with trials and demonstrations in several Indian states.
- Why
- The crop is being explored to make poor, dry and water-scarce land productive while creating additional income opportunities for farmers.
- Crop type
- Spineless cactus is a drought-tolerant xerophyte adapted to dry conditions.
- Rainfall context
- Uruli Kanchan receives around 600 millimetres of rainfall annually.
- Main applications
- Food, fuel, fodder, fertiliser and fashion products.
- Livestock use
- Cactus cladodes can be used as green fodder for cattle, buffaloes, goats and sheep.
- Biogas output
- Trials reported about 0.36 cubic metres of biogas per kilogram of dry matter.
- Methane content
- Reported methane content in the biogas was 55–70%.
- Leather products
- The cactus-based leather unit makes or demonstrates products including laptop bags, wallets and belts.
- Government support
- The crop has been promoted through the Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, with Viability Gap Funding support.