Wayanad: Fifteen years ago, the avocado market in India was almost non-existent, recalls Madhu Bopaiah. Back then, ripe avocados would fall from trees only to be consumed by dogs, leading to the fruit's unappealing nickname, "dog fruit." Today, Bopaiah is the group manager at Cottanad Plantations in Kerala's Wayanad hills, where avocados are now cultivated alongside cocoa, rubber, coffee, and spices.
According to BBC, the transformation began in 2011 when Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty mentioned using avocados for skincare, causing the fruit's prices to double overnight. Recognizing the opportunity, Cottanad Plantations expanded their avocado cultivation to 40 acres, yielding between 10 and 15 tonnes last year. They aim to increase production to 40-50 tonnes in the coming years by adopting advanced growing techniques from South African experts.
Despite a growing domestic demand, India still imports around 15,000 tonnes of avocados annually, while local production lags at approximately 8,000-9,000 tonnes. Manilal Palliyath, an advocate for India's avocado industry, sees this as a significant opportunity for farmers, especially as traditional crops like coffee and pepper face challenges from changing climatic conditions.
Hussain Shahzad, executive chef at Hunger Inc. Hospitality in Mumbai, explains that while Indian avocados are improving, imported ones provide the consistency needed for his restaurants. However, there is interest in sourcing locally as Indian agriculture evolves.
Harshit Godha, founder of Indo-Israel Avocado Nursery in Bhopal, is working to modernize India's avocado industry by supplying international varieties like Hass and Pinkerton. His nursery has distributed around 18,000 plants across India, utilizing advanced Israeli techniques to improve cultivation practices.
Dr. Ganeshan Karunakaran from the ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research highlights the need for standardizing avocado varieties in India to ensure a reliable commercial market. He warns against unregulated nurseries selling potentially diseased plants that could lead to financial losses for farmers.
Despite these challenges, farmers like Shiju Sebastian see the potential in avocado cultivation. Eight years ago, Sebastian allocated two acres of his Wayanad farm to avocados, and now he plans to expand further, inspired by the fruit's profitability and appeal.
