New flavours of the season

Hyderabad: Now-a-days, one routinely encounters a familiar sight of exotic fruits in local markets in your city. From the spiky, bright pink dragon fruits to Blue Berries, creamy avocados, sweet and tangy kiwis and other colorful exotic fruits are increasingly catching people's fancy as they step into a supermarket or a fruit shop across the city.

Most of these foreign fruits have reported a surge in their import as well as their consumption percentage. According to figures, at the Kothapet fruit market in Dilsukhnagar imports of exotic fruits are growing year by year. Reports show the imports have been growing by 20 per cent annually.

When contacted, Selection and Grade officer V Venkatesham shared, "There has been an annual growth of 20 to 25 per cent in sales of exotic fruit. However, off-season hampers the sales a little but the loss is compensated during the season. During the off-season, the fruit market makes an estimate of around Rs 1.5 to 2 lakhs every day and during the season it goes up till 2.5 to 3 lakhs and more."

"The annual estimate is up-to Rs one crore which has increased as the market has seen a profit of 1.5 crores last year. All leading retail supermarkets buy these exotic fruits from the market and later sell them further," adds Venkatesham.

Even though the high price people are still buying these exotic fruits, thanks to the well-traveled and well-heeled Indian consumers the retailers witness a surge in demand for the exotic produce.

Nutritionists claim that a lot of consumers are adopting plant-based foods and incorporating nutritious exotic fruits in their daily food habits due to their wonderful flavor and myriad health benefits. The business of exotic fruits is also largely influenced by the ever-evolving consumer habits and the abundant health benefits they carry. For example, avocados are a great source of Vitamins C, E, K, and B-6, the sweet and tangy kiwis are loaded with nutrients like Vitamins C, K, E, folate, and potassium. Both these exotic fruits are packed with antioxidants and are a good source of fiber too.