The current Indian workforce in agriculture is very high, more than 40%. Hence, there is an urgent need to pursue activities that provide high returns on work and investment. India must develop top-value agriculture that is appreciated by domestic consumers and exportable to the diaspora and others in contact with them.
In all human activity, improving the yields of rich and nutritional products depends mainly on practical intelligence and experimentation. Sun is abundant in India, which makes fruits colourfully catchy and tasty. When writing a case, Sahyadri Farms (based in Nashik), I saw how imagination was essential to its success: it exported seedless table grapes from January to June to European Countries based on various microclimates in India. In the EU, they only produced grapes in September and October. So they can taste them for a longer time.
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Fortunately, there have been promising advances in India in quantity and quality from individuals and institutions dedicated to R&D. Once a suitable solution in a particular culture, the demonstration effect of the pioneers is of utmost importance in quickly disseminating and taking full advantage of it.
Before discussing how India can make a significant leap, I’ll recall some data (accessible on Google) on which to base my suggestions (the accuracy of the dates is less important than the relative position). These data impressed me, and I’m sure that with additional research, well focussed on the outcomes, they can significantly improve, making available to the Indian market and for export some fruits specific to India and others omnipresent:
Banana: India contributes 26.45% to world production; in 2022, total volume reached 135 MT.
Mango: 50.0% of world production is in India. The annual global production is 43 MT. There are more than 1000 varieties in India!
Coconut: In 2023, India produced 13.5 MT, about 45% of the world production. The diversity of its usage is impressive.
Lemon, sweet lemon (mosambi): Presently India is fourth in Citrus production globally. The country is 1st in acid lime and lemon production, with 10.76 MT of citrus fruit annually.
Orange production in India in 2021 stood at 10.37 MT. During 2021/2022, world global orange production amounted to 50.41 MT.
Papaya: annual world production is about 6 MT. India leads the world with a yearly output of 3 MT.
Apple: in fiscal year 2022, India’s production was estimated at over 2.4 MT. Worldwide production surged to 95.84 MT. Given the appropriate temperatures, the North-Eastern States of India can vastly increase their production. Some varieties grow well in the South, too. Apple has a high commercial and export value.
Guava: India is the largest producer, accounting for 45% of the world’s 55 MT in 2019.
Custard apple: India produces 1,278 MT. Maharashtra leads the country in its production, with 92,320 tonnes. Nearly all Southern States make it, which can be significantly improved. The fruit is appreciated for its exquisite taste.
Pineapple’s annual world production is around 14.6 MT. India is the 5th largest producer, with a yearly output of about 1.2 MT.
Pomegranate: India ranks first, with production of 1.14 MT.
Avocados, dragon fruits, and many exotic ones are today growing in search.
At first sight, India has impressive growth potential through well-planned work, with trees planted in the patches of land carefully chosen in each State and at appropriate density. The varieties of trees most suitable for the climate, water availability and soil composition must be obtained from the National Horticulture Board and the State’s R&D Department of Agriculture.
For each patch of a specific crop, the R&D Centre should suggest the best varieties to cultivate. In addition, one or more Agronomic Stations nearby should prepare themselves to satisfy orders for saplings of each type of fruit tree in a reasonable time.
In the case of berries, for example, some brands like Driscoll’s in California, continuously research to improve quality and productivity. I was thinking of a private R&D Centre, promoted by someone able to absorb the losses in the first years and make continuous R&D on various fruits, cereals, etc., especially where India is dominant: Mango, Coconut, Banana and Rice, to start with. It would be a very profitable investment and significant for the Society.
Farmers in each location should always prioritise the variety that guarantees a high market value, the best productivity and good taste. The saplings of such varieties may be expensive, but the sale’s price difference will soon compensate.
Water for irrigation in the dry season is needed. Therefore, it may be suitable for each State to ensure and promote water harvesting, to retain rainwater in underground or open-air deposits, with dams and reservoirs, or in the course of the nearby rivers, deepening and enlarging them or reintroducing rainwater through aqua-shafts at several points to raise the underground water table to levels near the surface, to make pumping easier during the dry periods.
The soil fertilisation process should be based on natural organic products through composting, avoiding the deterioration of the chemicals. Likewise, pesticides should be natural, based on extracts of well-known plants such as pyrethrum, tobacco, neem, sabadilla, Sania, etc., avoiding chemicals.
There should be concern from producers of one particular type of fruit to join forces to market it effectively, inviting significant buyers to take them directly from the producers at better prices and also, considering frigorific storage and the installation of canning factories to make jams, jellies and marmalades.
Europe and countries in cold regions import many tropical fruits like bananas, mango, papaya, custard-apple, pomegranate, guava, etc., which must be improved. Wild fruits of good taste and aroma are a rarity, exuding a strong and pleasant fragrance. Particularly in Goa and other parts of India, a wide variety of wild fruits grow, perfuming the air in the vicinity and attracting a variety of insects, including bees, which are helpful in pollination, besides honey production.
These exotic fruits of shrubs, under the shadow of spontaneous trees, such as mango trees, jackfruit, cashew-nuts, tamarind, and brindao kumkum trees, must deserve special attention from the R&D entities. Their composition needs to be identified, referring to their usefulness for health and indicating the best way to cultivate and produce high quantities. These tiny fruits in various colours -white, blue, red, etc.- are unique in taste.
It is essential to create the habit of integrating some pieces of fruit into the daily diet of children and adults. My attention goes to the fact that consumption will grow, with benefits to the health of citizens, improving farmer’s earnings.
(The Author is Professor at AESE-Business School
(Lisbon), at IIM Rohtak,
author of The Rise of India)
