Fifteen years ago there was almost no market for avocados in India, remembers Madhu Bopaiah.
Ripe fruit would fall off trees and be eaten by dogs, earning avocados the unappetising name dog fruit, he says.
Bopaiah has been working in India’s plantation industry for 26 years, he’s currently group manager at Cottanad Plantations, which grows cocoa, rubber, coffee, spices and fruits, including avocado, in the hills of Wayanad in the southern Indian state of Kerala.
“We never planted avocado as our main crop. We introduced it as a shade tree for coffee plantations, and only later realised it could become a profitable business,” he says.
He says the turning point was around 2011 when Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty said she used avocado for skincare.
“Overnight, prices doubled and then kept rising,” he says.
Cottanad has responded to that demand by planting avocado trees on 40 acres. Last year they harvested between 10 and 15 tonnes of fruit. In three of four years time they hope to raise that to 40 to 50 tonnes.
There’s been a lot to learn.
“We completely changed the way we grow avocados after learning from South African experts. Today we use raised beds, wider spacing and different planting methods because avocado roots are highly vulnerable to diseases,” Bopaiah says.
There’s plenty of scope for Indian farmers to step-up production.
“When we studied the market, we found a huge gap between demand and supply. India imports around 15,000 tonnes of avocados every year, while domestic production is only about 8,000–9,000 tonnes,” says Manilal Palliyath who helps promote India’s avocado industry.
He sees a big opportunity for farmers, particularly as traditional crops have suffered.
“Coffee and pepper have suffered because of changing climatic conditions, making diversification essential for farmers.”
While demand is growing in India, it’s not always for locally grown fruit.
“Indian-grown avocados are improving and there are some great farmers working with local varieties, but the quality and availability can vary significantly depending on the season and region,” says Hussain Shahzad, the executive chef at Hunger Inc. Hospitality.
The group owns four restaurants in Mumbai, including Veronica’s and The Bombay Canteen.
“We have explored different varieties of avocados available in India, but the imported ones currently offer the consistency we need in terms of flavour, texture, size, and ripening,” he says
But like many in the catering industry, he would like to source ingredients locally.
“We are always interested in exploring better local produce as it evolves. Supporting Indian agriculture and working with indigenous ingredients is central to how we approach food.”
