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

Fifteen years ago, avocados were virtually unknown in India, often referred to as 'dog fruit' due to their tendency to drop from trees and be eaten by dogs. Sunil Bopaiah, a veteran in India's plantation industry, recalls how avocados were initially introduced as shade trees for coffee plantations. However, it wasn't until 2011, when Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty endorsed avocado for skincare, that interest in the fruit surged, causing prices to skyrocket.

Bopaiah and his team at Cottanad Plantations have since invested in avocado production. They have expanded their avocado acreage to 40 acres, aiming to harvest between 40 to 50 tonnes annually within three to four years. They have adopted advanced farming techniques, such as raised beds, wider spacing, and disease-resistant planting methods, learning from South African experts.

India currently imports around 15,000 tonnes of avocados annually, but domestic production only stands at 8,000-9,000 tonnes. Manilal Palliyath, who promotes India's avocado industry, believes there's a significant opportunity for farmers due to the high demand-supply gap. Farmers are diversifying their crops due to the adverse effects of changing climatic conditions on traditional crops like coffee and pepper.

While Indian-grown avocados are improving, their quality and availability can vary depending on the season and region. In the catering industry, chefs like Hussain Shahzad from Hunger Inc. Hospitality are keen on sourcing locally grown avocados for consistency in flavor, texture, and ripening. However, they appreciate the reliability of imported avocados.

Harshit Godha, founder of Indo-Israel Avocado Nursery, has been instrumental in supplying international avocado varieties to Indian farmers. Israeli avocado technology is highly advanced due to its optimal climate, and Godha's nursery has supplied about 18,000 avocado plants to farmers across India. He emphasizes the importance of using international varieties due to the complex process of growing avocado trees in India.

Standardized varieties are crucial for a reliable commercial avocado market in India. Dr. Ganeshan Karunakaran, a scientist at the ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, has been working on a breeding project to develop uniform, high-yielding, and good-quality avocado planting material. Despite the challenges, many farmers see the potential in avocado cultivation and are willing to switch from traditional crops.