Large imported hybrid guavas are pushing aside the humbler, smaller local ones in Hyderabad. In the process, traditional growers of guavas, who used to bring the fruit from orchards near Chevella, Vikarabad, Zaheerabad and other areas around the city, are forced to fend for themselves.
“In our village, traders are buying from orchards at ₹15 to ₹20 a kilo. I am trying to sell them directly to customers. But it’s hard to sell. They are not like mangoes that people go crazy over,” says Madhu Reddy, who cultivates organic guavas on the city outskirts.
As the streets of Hyderabad are flooded by these Taiwanese imports as well as hybrids, the contrast couldn’t be sharper. The bigger guavas stay green, have a juicy texture, fewer seeds, smaller core and appear fresh longer. Guavas of local origin are smaller, but with a bigger core, more seeds and stay juicy for a short duration. Though there are a few takers for the smaller local varieties, some swear by their taste.
Arranging 140 kilos of guavas in a neat rhombic pyramid on his pushcart, Muneer Ahmed waits for customers near Mehdipatnam. “This is more profitable. I bought these Taiwanese guavas for ₹4,000 and if I can sell all of them for ₹100 a kilo, I will make good money. I cannot do the same with the local guavas. The local ones become yellowish and start smelling within a day,” he says.
“These plants are of Taiwanese origin which have been grafted and localised about eight years ago. Taiwanese white is the preferred choice of customers and pink one is preferred by pulp industry for making juices and jams. The Allahabadi Safeda and VNR Chhattisgarh are other local varieties being grown in orchards in Chittoor, Anantapur and some areas of Karnataka,” says Mohan of Ganga Nursery, Sangareddy.
Raising doubts over the spread of these hybrid guavas, G.V. Ramanjaneyulu of the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture says: “The market impact has not been much, but I am afraid about the environmental impact that may unfold after a few years.”
Figures on the sale of different varieties were not available at the Gaddiannaram fruit market, one of the biggest in Telangana.
“We have noticed that the uptake for large guavas is higher. The smaller guavas are not even being brought to the market. But I cannot put a figure to that,” said Venkatesham of Gaddiannaram Agricultural Market Committee.
