Hyderabad: From other Indian states and abroad, many ordinary and exotic fruits continue to be imported into Telangana. These include apples, guava, oranges, pomegranates, strawberries, grapes, kiwis, avocados and dragon fruit. According to garden officials, apples, dragon fruit and avocado are among the varieties imported in recent years. Although apples still arrive in large quantities, local dragon fruit and avocado cultivation has increased under the leadership of innovative farmers.
Apples are imported mainly from Afghanistan and South Africa, while avocados arrive from Mexico, Sri Lanka, Kenya and Tanzania. Dragon fruit, which once mainly comes from Vietnam, is now widely grown in Telangana. Other imports include Thai guavas, oranges from Egypt and Brazil, and pomegranates from Iran and Afghanistan. Green and golden kiwis are introduced from New Zealand, Greece, Chile and Iran.
To reduce dependence on imports, local farmers are increasingly interested in cultivating these fruits. The once large-scale import of dragon fruit is now being obtained as a local crop. “I started ploughing red and pink fire dragon fruits in 2023. Last year, I sold 4 tons at a price of 130 per kilogram. This year, I expect 10 tons,” said Bandari Venugopal Rao, a farmer at Jagital District. He added that although Telangana soil wells support crops, excessive watering can lead to fungal infections.
Avocado cultivation is also expanding. Dr. Srinivas Rao Madhavaram, director of Deccan Exotics, Sangareddy Farmers Producers Organization (FPO). “We have been working in avocado variety for six and a half years, sourcing plants from Israel, South Africa and California. It's not just for profit, we are promoting avocados because they promote avocados in the context of growing cooking, cosmetics and demand,” he said.
Scientists at Sangareddy's Fruit Research Station (FRS) are studying two major avocado types – green and purple. “The green type with lower fat content is suitable for the climate of Telangana. The advanced purple type requires cool conditions and is grown under a shadow mesh. The fruit usually begins three years after planting,” said Dr. Harikanth, a scientist at FRS. He noted that avocado could be the next big horticultural crop in the state.
The station is also working on passion fruit. “It has been growing here for 20-30 years, but it has attracted attention. It is a grape crop that requires minimal water and starts with fruit in a year,” Dr. Harikanth said.
However, he observed that public awareness of the fruits remains low.
Deccan Exotics is also trying Longan, a tropical fruit similar to Litchi. It is currently being grown on half acres of land and is expected to introduce it to farmers next year. Longan can tolerate high temperatures up to 44-45°C, although climate change can affect yield consistency.
Farmers like Jagtial's Venugopal Rao are also trying other exotic varieties. Last year, he imported Japanese guava plants and planted them on 20 guntas lands on his farm. “These guavaes are big, sweet and have very few seeds. Starting next year, they will be ready for the market,” he said, adding that he also plans to grow avocados and Thai coconuts starting next year. “I want to go deep into gardening and do something unique, not just for the growth of the commercial market,” he said.
In the political village of Nalgonda, farmer Lokasani Padma Reddy is cultivating Brazilian orange, a seedless juicy variety imported through tissue culture. “We planted it five years ago. The fruit started in the third year and last year we sold it for Rs 100 per kilogram,” he said.
Importers say that apples and dragon fruit are still some of the most commonly imported fruits, from the supply chain perspective. Importer M. Prasad said at the Batasingaram fruit market that apples and pears arrive from South Africa, arrive in Mumbai, and then arrive in Hyderabad. Prices vary by size and demand, with a box of pears priced at Rs 1,200 rupees, while apples purchased at Rs 677 per box are sold for $1,269. Another importer, Bharath Misra, brought green and golden kiwis from countries like New Zealand, Greece, Chile, and sold a box for Rs 2,200.
