Full Breakdown
Custard Apple Revolution: From Drought-Stricken Fields to Global Exports
5/26/2026, 12:49:31 PM
Drought-Driven Innovation in Southern India
In the rain-scarce district of Kolar, Karnataka, annual precipitation averages only 60–70 cm, prompting farmers to drill borewells as deep as 1,300 ft. The high cost of water forced many families, including that of Ashoka Shivareddy, to abandon agriculture and move to Bengaluru in 2005. Seeking a crop that could thrive on minimal irrigation, Shivareddy returned to farming in 2018 and chose the custard apple (Annona squamosa), a native fruit known for its drought tolerance.
Pioneering Breeders and Scientists
Key actors shaping the sector are:
- Ashoka Shivareddy – former AI engineer turned farmer, who now cultivates three custard-apple varieties on a smallhold.
- Dr Sakthivel T, principal scientist at the Indian Institute of Horticulture Research (IIHR), Bangalore, whose team created the hybrid “Arka Sahan.”
- Navnath Malhari Kaspate – veteran grower from Maharashtra who developed the high-yielding NMK-01 variety.
- Manoj Kumar Barai – exporter handling NMK-01 shipments to the US, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Europe.
Hybrid Varieties Boost Yield and Shelf Life
The Arka Sahan hybrid extends room-temperature shelf life to about seven days and reduces seed count, addressing the traditional Balangar’s three-day shelf life and low pulp content. Pulp recovery has risen from roughly 30 % in wild types to 70 % in hybrids, effectively doubling usable harvest without expanding cultivated area. Shivareddy’s own output grew from 20 tonnes in 2022 to 25 tonnes in 2023. In Maharashtra—accounting for nearly one-third of India’s national production—Kaspate now farms ~50 acres of NMK-01, achieving yields of ~10 tonnes per acre.
Export Logistics and Market Expansion
Barai emphasizes that exporting custard apple demands precise coordination of harvesting, refrigerated transport, and air-freight timing, as the fruit is highly heat-sensitive. Export shipments are pre-cooled for five hours, packed in insulated corrugated boxes, and moved in temperature-controlled vans before reaching cold rooms and finally air freight. While whole fruit exports remain limited, pulp and powdered forms—requiring storage at –18 °C—are gaining traction with overseas ice-cream makers, bakeries and “pulp-shot” cafés, offering a cost-effective alternative to air-freight.
Challenges: Shelf-Life, Pulp Browning, and Investment Hurdles
Despite progress, several obstacles persist. Custard-apple pulp oxidizes rapidly, turning brown shortly after extraction; IIHR researchers are testing new equipment to preserve its milky colour. Setting up pulp-processing units demands substantial capital for chilling equipment capable of –20 °C, a barrier for many smallholders. Moreover, the crop’s natural hardiness has limited adoption of high-tech farming tools, keeping overall productivity gains modest.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The sources provide detailed yield and export-destination data but lack precise figures on total export volumes and the commercial success of pulp-preservation technologies. No independent verification of the claimed 70 % pulp recovery rate is offered, leaving a gap in quantifying the economic impact of hybrid varieties.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The area receives rainfall of only 60 to 70 centimetres, and farmers dig borewells of up to 1,300 feet - most of their money goes into chasing water,” — Ashoka Shivareddy, farmer
- “The shift from 30% pulp recovery in wild varieties to 70% recovery in hybrids like Arka Sahan has effectively doubled the usable harvest for farmers without needing more land,” — Dr Sakthivel T, IIHR scientist
- “No one had really paid attention to custard apple or done research, so I decided to keep working on it. It takes 12 to 15 years to develop a new variety. This is not quick work - it's decades of experimentation,” — Navnath Malhari Kaspate, breeder
- “We have to plan everything precisely - harvesting time, transport to pack houses, airport transfer, flights, customs clearance - every hour matters.” — Manoj Kumar Barai, exporter
- “Custard apple sits in a strange gap. Demand is rising, but the farming hasn't gone high-tech as the crop is naturally hardy. It grows in poor soil, needs very little water, and survives on rainfall. Farmers don't need expensive irrigation, sensors, or controlled environments so tech adoption stays low,” — Ashoka Shivareddy, farmer
Future Outlook: Processing Units and New Varieties
Shivareddy intends to establish a pulp-processing facility to monetize the portion of his harvest unsuitable for fresh sale, while Kaspate is breeding a next-generation variety with improved appearance and disease resistance. Successful scaling of pulp-preservation methods could unlock larger export markets and further incentivize smallholders to adopt scientific farming practices.
