Stories

Fri, 04 Sep 2026

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 From 'dog fruit' to darling: India's avocado boom

Demand for avocados is booming in India and local growers hope to grab more of the market.
To meet this demand, many farmers have begun cultivating avocados on a large scale, with some entrepreneurs even introducing foreign varieties like Hass and Pinkerton to improve quality and consistency. One such entrepreneur is Harshit Godha, who founded the Indo-Israel Avocado Nursery in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. He supplies around 18,000 avocado plants to farmers across India every year and has noticed a significant increase in demand for avocados since Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty endorsed them for skincare. However, cultivating avocados is not without its challenges. Farmers need to be aware of the specific growing requirements for these trees, including pruning and pollination techniques, as well as ensuring that they have the right rootstock and variety. To address some of these issues, scientists at the ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research in Bengaluru are working on breeding a new generation of avocado varieties that are high-yielding and disease-resistant. Two such varieties, Arka Supreme and Arka Abhay, have already been released to farmers. Despite the challenges, many farmers see the potential benefits of switching to avocado cultivation. Shiju Sebastian, an early adopter, has dedicated two acres of his farm in Wayanad, Kerala, to avocados and is harvesting around 3,500 kg of fruit every year. He plans to expand his operation further. Overall, the increasing demand for avocados in India presents opportunities for farmers and entrepreneurs alike, but also requires careful planning and execution to ensure that the challenges associated with cultivating these trees are addressed.