By Rashmi Pratap
Dear Reader,
Did you know that American missionaries first brought avocados to India in the early 20th century? In love with the fruit packed with healthy fats, fibre, and essential vitamins and minerals, the missionaries planted them wherever possible in Coorg, Ooty and other places in South India.
However, the locals mostly uprooted the exotic fruit trees because of its bland taste, which had no place in Indian kitchens. After struggling for over a hundred years, avocado has found a premium position in the Indian market – the bland fruit now retails at upwards of Rs125 per piece and is used in dishes ranging from sandwiches and dips to juices and even chaat!
And that’s why those involved in avocado farming and trading are raking in a moolah. Harshith BS has, however, found a third way to cash in on the avocado craze. He prepares avocado saplings in his nursery and sells them to farmers across India.
Harshith, an accountant who quit during COVID-19, told me he made Rs50 lakh last year by sell