Ramayampet’s unique custard apple market draws traders and visitors

Ramayampet town in Medak is buzzing with its annual custard apple market. Nearly 1,000 locals harvest the organic fruit, earning up to ₹2,000 daily. Exports to neighbouring States touch 20 tonnes a day, drawing traders and festive-time visitors.

Medak: Ramayampet town has been bustling with the annual custard apple market over the past fortnight, coinciding with the ripening of the fruit in the wild. Surrounded by forest land and agricultural fields, the town is a hub for naturally grown custard apples that require no farming effort.

The seasonal fruit is exported to Karnataka, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Hyderabad throughout the season, which lasts till November. Agricultural labourers and farmers venture into the forest every morning to harvest the fruit, which is then transported in boxes to Ramayampet, where traders from other States and Hyderabad purchase them.

Nearly 1,000 people, both men and women, are engaged in harvesting. A box sells for Rs.600 to Rs.800, enabling a couple to earn Rs.1,000 to Rs.2,000 a day by collecting two to four boxes.

The trade began 35 years ago when traders, impressed by the fruit’s taste, decided to export it. Earlier, locals consumed it and the surplus went to waste. Traders say Ramayampet custard apples have a distinct flavour that attracts steady demand in neighbouring States. Grown without pesticides or fertilisers, locals consider it the highest quality organic fruit.

At the peak of the season, nearly 20 tonnes are exported daily. Besides traders, people from Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana flock to Ramayampet during Dasara and Deepavali to relish the fruit.

Speaking to Telangana Today, Tummala Bhaskar, a resident of Chelmada, said they earn an additional Rs.20,000 to Rs.30,000 during the season along with their regular agricultural income.