Custard Apple Farming Thrives in Drought-Prone Areas

From Software Engineer to Innovative Farmer

Ashoka Shivareddy comes from a family of farmers. Making a living proved hard in their drought-prone district. Kolar in southern India receives minimal rainfall. The area gets only 60 to 70 centimeters annually. Farmers dig borewells up to 1,300 feet deep. Most of their money goes into chasing water.

Mounting losses forced the family to give up farming. In 2005, they moved to the city. Bengaluru became their new home. They started a vegetable shop. Shivareddy became an AI software engineer. He never lost the farming bug.

In 2018, he decided to revive the family farm. This time, he wanted a more scientific approach. He sought a crop that could survive with very little water. It needed to grow with rainfall alone. Heavy dependence on pesticides was unacceptable.

Why Custard Apples Made Perfect Sense

Custard apple seemed to be a good fit. This knobbly fruit matches the size of a large avocado. Its creamy, sweet flesh tastes a bit like custard. Hence the name. Custard apple trees grow wild in Shivareddy’s area. Locals would harvest the fruit and sell it at the market. That seemed promising to Shivareddy.

Looking to maximize his yield, he planted trees closer together. This differed from typical farms. Shivareddy also carefully selected three varieties. Each offered different benefits. The approach appears to be working. Last year, he produced around 20 tonnes. This year, it’s about 25 tonnes. Huge demand exists for custard apple in India and abroad.

Overcoming Traditional Variety Challenges

While custard apples can survive in dry conditions, challenges exist. The traditional variety Balangar has a very short shelf life. Sometimes it lasts as little as three or four days. This limits the farmer’s selling options. It also has a lot of seeds. This makes it less attractive to customers.

Traditional varieties have excellent flavor. However, they suffer from low pulp content. High seed count creates problems. Very poor shelf life poses another challenge. Dr. Sakthivel T works as principal scientist at Indian Institute of Horticulture Research in Bangalore. His team developed solutions to these problems.

Australian Success in Custard Apple Production

The custard apple harvest season is going well in Australia. Cindy Hogan of Hogan’s Fresh & Sweet reports positive results. Despite a few problems, the fruit is eating well. More irregular-shaped fruit appeared this season than in other years. Poor pollination caused this. Temperature fluctuation during fruit set created the problem.

It was dry leading up to harvest. Then, around 250 mm of rain fell. This occurred over about five weeks. Showers fell nearly every day. This makes harvest uncomfortable. All picking is done by hand. The irregular-shaped fruit is great to eat. However, it doesn’t present as well in the tray. They’ve had fewer premium custard apples so far this year.

Strong Volume and Distribution Networks

The business has had some good volume. Hogan’s Fresh & Sweet picks and packs a couple of hundred trays a week. It sells its whole harvest through All Aussie Farmers in Melbourne. This is a trusted partner. They find plenty of customers for Hogan’s fruit.

Hogan expects plenty more fruit. They estimate taking off about one-third of the crop so far. The majority of the rest is expected mid-July onward. Finishing will occur in September. There’s no rush to get the fruit in. They expect the fruit to be slow over the next few weeks. This is ideal for the operation.

Strategic Management Prevents Losses

They manage production this way with pruning. Tipping-and-stripping helps control timing. Fruit thinning plays a role. They can avoid having a lot of fruit maturing as winter arrives. This is when most fruit splitting occurs. A gradual increase in volumes is expected. This will continue until all trees have reached maturity.

They expect to get around 3,500 to 4,000 trays this year. This will be their biggest year so far. By the time all trees are in full production, different numbers apply. They should get around 6,000 to 6,500 trays per year. This represents significant growth potential.

Trellising Innovation Improves Operations

The company switched to trellising during its operation. That has gone really well for the firm. They believe trellising has great benefits over non-trellised trees. Pruning is straightforward with this system. The height of the trees can be kept lower. This allows for better coverage of sprays.

Trees are stable during high winds. They sometimes experience such conditions. When trees are stabilized, fruit protection improves. Leaves and branches do not rub on the fruit as much. This prevents marking. It improves quality significantly. Hogan’s Fresh & Sweet primarily grows KJ Pinks variety.

Future of Custard Apple Cultivation

The custard apple industry shows promising growth trajectories. Both India and Australia demonstrate successful cultivation models. Scientific approaches transform traditional farming practices. Water-efficient crops become increasingly important. Drought-prone regions find new agricultural opportunities.

Hybrid development addresses traditional variety limitations. Better shelf life expands market reach. Increased pulp recovery maximizes harvest value. Farmers achieve better returns without needing more land. These innovations support sustainable agricultural practices.

The combination of traditional knowledge and modern techniques works. Farmers like Shivareddy prove this daily. Strategic planning prevents losses from weather events. Proper timing avoids fruit splitting during winter. Trellising systems improve fruit quality and operational efficiency. The custard apple sector continues evolving with promising prospects.