From 'dog fruit' to darling: India's avocado boom

Fifteen years ago, avocados were virtually unknown in India. Ripe fruit would fall from trees and be eaten by dogs, giving them the unappealing nickname "dog fruit." Sunil Bopaiah, a group manager at Cottanad Plantations, says the fruit was never grown as a main crop; it was introduced as a shade tree to protect coffee plants. It wasn't until 2011 that avocados gained popularity after Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty began using them for skincare. Overnight, prices doubled and continued to rise.

Cottanad Plantations has responded to this demand by planting avocado trees on 40 acres. They expect to harvest 10-15 tonnes annually in the next three to four years, ultimately aiming to reach 40-50 tonnes. To combat disease vulnerability, the company has learned from South African experts and now uses raised beds, wider spacing, and different planting methods.

There is significant potential for Indian farmers to increase avocado production. While India imports around 15,000 tonnes annually, domestic production is only about 8,000-9,000 tonnes. Manilal Palliyath, who promotes India's avocado industry, believes there is a big opportunity for farmers, especially as traditional crops like coffee and pepper have suffered due to changing climate conditions.

However, Indian-grown avocados may not always meet the standards of locally grown fruit due to varying quality and availability depending on the season and region. Hussain Shahzad, executive chef at Hunger Inc. Hospitality, an organization with four restaurants in Mumbai, prefers imported avocados for their consistency in flavor, texture, size, and ripening. Nonetheless, he supports local produce as it evolves.

Harshit Godha, founder of Indo-Israel Avocado Nursery in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, has supplied around 18,000 avocado plants to Indian farmers since 2021. Israeli avocado technology is highly advanced, with the country growing avocados on approximately 13,000 hectares despite having minimal rainfall for eight months of the year. This expertise has led to the popularity of popular foreign varieties like Hass and Pinkerton in India.

To modernize India's avocado industry, Godha advocates for improving local trees. Dr. Ganeshan Karunakaran, a principal scientist at the ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research in Bengaluru, has been working on a breeding project for 25 years, releasing two varieties based on local trees. He emphasizes the importance of standard varieties to ensure a reliable commercial market, as unregulated nurseries may sell unidentified or diseased plants that can cause significant financial losses.