Fruit for thought: Farmers turn to cultivation of exotic varieties

New Delhi: Indian farmers are rapidly adopting the cultivation of exotic and premium fruits like avocados, blueberries, dragon fruit, and kiwis, fuelled by their growing preference in the domestic market and burgeoning exports.

These fruits offer up to 50% higher returns than other local fruits, according to experts. "Over the last five years, farmers and entrepreneurs have realized the potential for exotic fruits and new varieties for both domestic and international markets," said Purnima Khandelwal, chief executive of InI Farms, a large exporter of horticulture products.

Khandelwal said this was manifested in initiatives to grow dragon fruit, seedless watermelon, blueberries, red grapes, cantaloupes, avocado and kiwi.

Recognising the market potential, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare has identified ten globally popular exotic fruit crops of commercial importance - avocado, blueberry, dragon fruit, figs, kiwi, mangosteen, persimmon, passion fruits, rambutans and strawberries, and directed state horticulture departments to expand the area under cultivation of these crops.

In 2023, the total area under cultivation for dragon fruit stood at 3,000 hectares. With increased demand, the government expects this to rise to up to 50,000 hectares in five years under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) program. The total area under kiwi fruit cultivation in India is 5,000 hectares, yielding 16,000 MT production in FY2023, compared to negligible production in 2010, agriculture ministry data showed.

Producers and marketers for exotic fruits in India value the domestic market at an estimated₹3,000 crores with core demand emerging from the top four metros, state capitals and tourist spots.

"With so many tourists around, exotic fruits are really popular in tourist spots such as Goa. Delhi, Mumbai are also among the biggest consumers of these items," Harshit Godha, founder of Indo Israel Avocado, which helps farmers grow avocados.

Experts say India's varied agro-climatic conditions are a major factor driving local production of exotic items. "(With such varied agro-climatic conditions) Northeast is growing kiwi, Himachal Pradesh is growing new varieties of apple, Nashik is growing exotic grapes, Solapur is growing melons, Madhya Pradesh is growing berries, and Andhra Pradesh is growing avocado," Khandelwal said.

Lucrative export market

Increased production is also propelling exports, albeit at a lower base. India had been exporting primarily to neighbouring countries but has now found markets in the UAE, Austria, and Canada for some of these fruits India's kiwi exports jumped to 528 tonnes in 2023 from just 0.35 tonnes six years ago.

Indo Israel Avocado, which imports avocado plants for farmers, has seen a huge demand for fruit. "In the last three years, our total imports were 10,000 avocado plants. But in 2024 (calendar year), just the first consignment was 10,000 avocado plants," said Godha.