Ambalavayal: Branded shops, counters selling quality saplings, production units making candies, biscuits and juice, and establishing an avocado research station where farmers and scientists can sit together brainstorming ways to tap and explore the global market... These are part of the dream mission of a group of avocado enthusiasts who envision transforming Wayanad's avocado into a global brand.

The Regional Agriculture Research Station (RARS) is heading the avocado promotion and branding mission. The Department of Agriculture took the first step in realising that vision by naming Ambalavayal as the ‘Avocado City’.

Though farmers have been growing it, more commonly called butter fruit, for the past seven decades, farmers have only recently begun to tap its market potential, thanks to the growing demand in metro cities.

The avocado craze, which catapulted this humble, year-long fruit from comparative obscurity to obsession, resulted in a surge in popularity and consumption. Driven by health trends and social media influencers, avocado gained the status of a superfood in no time. So much so that several countries in Africa and South America, along with Mexico, have ramped up production to meet the increased global demand.

In Kerala, traders from Bengaluru, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, and Kochi increasingly turn to Wayanad to source avocados grown in the unique climate.

Avocado is rich in key nutrients, including healthy fats and fibre. It also contains anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds. Experts also claim that regular consumption may also reduce the possibility of heart disease.

Long way to go
Dr CK Yamini Varma, associate director of RARS, cited a lack of professionalism in selecting the planting materials and nurturing, unscientific harvesting by picking matured and unripe fruits, and unimpressive packaging and marketing as reasons that stand in the way of taking the produce global.

In the 1940s, the British introduced four varieties of avocado in the region. (Over the years) many more have emerged through crosspollination,” she said. "Our first task is identifying the best varieties and preparing a database of the cultivators,” she added. Farmers who had won the 'Best Avocado Awards' in the Avocado Fest organised in connection with the World Avocado Day on July 31 would be tracked and enlisted, with planting material sourced from them.

RARS, in association with farmers' and traders' bodies, organised the Avocado Fest here.

“Many claim that the Californian variety Hass, with its large fruits and dark green skin, is the best in class, while experts, who bat for Wayanad variety, argue that some fruits here have better oil content and taste,” she noted.

Varma told Onmanorama that moves are afoot to streamline a strategy, and initial talks have been held regarding the formation of a task force. “After the Avocado Fest, all of us are hopeful, as farmers, traders, and fruit lovers have shown tremendous interest in promoting the fruit. We were expecting around 200 registrations for the Fest. But there were 300 entries, and event organisers struggled to ensure space for all,” she pointed out.

RARS would focus on providing the best variety of planting material to farmers, that too for an affordable cost, she said.

Traders unhappy
Though Ambalavayal is known as the avocado hub of South India, the 15-odd traders here are eager for new initiatives, as they are unhappy with the present state of affairs. Farmers, they say, urgently need training on how to nurture plants, collect fruits in line with international quality standards, pack them carefully in plastic crates, and transport them safely.

Rasheed Ambalavayal, a prominent trader with more than a decade of experience in the avocado trade, told Onmanorama that there are untapped domestic and overseas markets for the fruit. "But the problem is lack of training in selecting the right mature fruit while harvesting and transporting them to shops in a crude manner. (At present) They are stuffed in sacks, which damages the fruit; hence, we are unable to fix a good price," he told Onmanorama.

"Our harvest season is from June to August, when the price tends to come down; we receive around 20 tonnes per day," he said. "In January (an off-season), 1 kg of ‘A grade’ avocado fetched farmers the top rate of ₹340 per kg," he said, noting that the current price is around ₹90 per kg. "During the last summer season, traders in Bengaluru, for the first time imported avocado from Tanzania as local prices went up due to scarcity," he told Onmanorama.

Value addition: The need of the hour
Adding more value by developing various products is the need of the hour, experts opine. The Kissan Service Society (KSS), an avocado farmers' movement, and the traders' forum, the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi, Ambalavayal unit, have extended their support for the branding initiative.

According to KSS national vice-chairman Sunil Kumar MR, the branding of avocado has never been done anywhere in India. "We are organising the farmers and also visiting avocado-producing countries to learn from them," he said, adding that value addition is the key to success in the branding process. "With the support of institutions, we have made 13 products using the fruit," he noted. "During high-yield season, we could divert the low-quality fruits for value addition, and if yield dips, farmers could tap into the market demand," he said.

At the Avocado Fest, an array of experts from elite institutions across the country shared their views and experience of value addition. A food and nutrition expert from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) revealed that the premier R&D agency is experimenting to develop vacado products suitable for consumption in space.

Apart from RARS and the Kerala Agricultural University, the CFTRI (Central Food Technological Research Institute), Mysuru, Sai Agro Innovations, Wayanad, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Bengaluru, and the research institutions of the Tamil Nadu agriculture department have joined in the branding mission.