Tamarind is a hot and sour tropical fruit used in Indian curries, sauces, soups, and chutneys. This sweet and sour fruit’s pulp provides great laxative properties. Growing and harvesting tamarind crops are highly recommended as they are easy to maintain and have good yields for farmers.
Interested in starting Tamarind cultivation in India? Arrange your latest farm tractors and good quality thresher machines as we will discuss the best ways to sow, plant and harvest tamarind fruits in India. But before that, let’s discuss their types!
Types of Tamarind Varieties Sowed & Planted in India
There are two types of tamarind varieties that are popularly grown in India.
- Urigam – This variety has long pods and tastes quite sweet.
- PKM1 – This one is an early variety that can yield 270 to 300 pods from a single tree containing almost 40% pulp content. However, if this variety is planted in the space of 10mX10m, a yield of 25 tonnes of pods/ha can be produced.
Technical Factors to Sow, Plant and Cultivate Tamarind Varieties
-
Climatic conditions for Tamarind cultivation
Semi-arid regions with temperatures between 0 degrees C to 46 degrees C are suitable for tamarind cultivation. However, the annual rainfall should be between 5-15 centimetres. But this doesn’t understate the fact that these crops cannot thrive in heavily raid-fed areas. Provided the soil should have a proper internal soil drainage system. And the suitable elevation range of tamarind is 1000 metres above sea level.
-
Soil requirements for Tamarind Cultivation
Tamarind trees can sustain well in loamy, well-drained and alluvial soils with Ph levels ranging between 4.5 to 9. However, these crops are not fastidious about the quality of the soil. Even poorly maintained soil can sustain the cultivation of this sweet and sour plant.
-
Manure & fertilisers required for Tamarind cultivation
These crops require good quality, well-rotted farmyard manure, including cow dung or organic matter. The fertiliser can be added while preparing the soil or field.
-
Planting & spacing for Tamarind cultivation
As a rule of thumb, tamarind seeds can take about a week to germinate, and after 3-4 months, seedlings are transplanted to the main field. Tamarind seeds are sown in straight lines at 25 cm from each other on seed beds.
Grafting and budding methods can be sustained in polythenes for true-type plants. Softwood grafting is a highly useful method.
The ideal time for planting is between June to November. Pits of size 1mX1mX1m should be dug at roughly a distance of 1mX1mX1m. Each pit should be filled with 15-20 kg of farmyard manure, including topsoil. Regular irrigation must be assured once the seedlings are transplanted to the main field.
-
Irrigation for Tamarind Cultivation
Irrigation must be ensured as soon as the seedlings are transplanted into the main fields. However, the irrigation should be followed through depending on the existing soil moisture content. During rainy conditions, excessive watering should be avoided.
And if there is any stagnant water in the soil, it should be removed or drained out on priority. Especially during the planting stage, as during that time, seedlings are weak and prone to damage.
Earning Potential from Tamarind Farming in India — Is Tamarind Cultivation Profitable in India?
Farmers can grow 400 plants of the highest variety of tamarind per acre. This is possible with the highest tamarind variety, PKM 1. However, a single tree can produce 263 Kilos of fruit per year. And an average of 10 tonnes per acre can be easily procured.
Farmers can expect to earn Rs 8,42,000 per acre from this much output within a year.
And once you reduce the price after labour cost from the finished product, you can expect only 94 kg of finished product per tree, equating to Rs 320000 worth of yield/acre.
How Tamarind Plants are Propagated?
Tamarind plants can be propagated through grafts, seeds, and buddings.
How Can Weeds be Controlled in Tamarind Plants?
The land should be ploughed enough to tilt the land finely. Doing so will ensure that the field is prepared enough and has less scope for weeds to develop. However, mulching through leaves or dry soil could be done to avoid water loss and weeds. Farmers can also choose to sprinkle some organic grade weedicides to prevent them from initial stages.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Is it profitable to grow tamarind trees?
Ans. Yes, it is profitable to grow tamarind in India. The tree not only provides great profitability to Indian farmers but can also help achieve sustainable growth. The trees are easy to grow, maintain and harvest. Thus, they have huge profit potential in the end.
-
How many trees can you grow on one-acre land?
Ans. If we talk about Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, about 40-50 trees per acre are planted in orchards in these regions.
-
What is the average lifespan of tamarind trees?
Ans. The average lifespan of Tamarind trees is 200 years.
-
Which country has become the largest producer of tamarind in the world?
Ans. India has become the largest producer of Tamarind, estimated to grow 300,000 tons of tamarind per year.
-
Where is the biggest tamarind market?
Ans. The biggest tamarind market is in Jagdalpur. The market here has an annual turnover of Rs 500 crore. And the region alone exports tamarind to 54 countries.
-
Where does India export tamarinds the most?
Ans. The United Arab Emirates is the largest importer of Tamarinds from India. About 510889 quantities of Tamarinds are exported to the United Arab Emirates.
-
Which is the highest Tamarind producing state in India?
Ans. With 44,000 metric tons, Tamil Nadu had the highest volume of tamarind production in the fiscal year 2022.
-
Which are the leading tamarind-producing states in India?
Ans. The main tamarind-producing states in India are:
- TamilNadu
- Maharashtra
- Telangana
- Bihar
- Orissa
- Himalayan tract
- Andhra Pradesh
