Custard Apple Value Chain in Beed District of Maharashtra, India: A Case Study

Abstract

Agriculture, with its allied sectors, is the largest source of livelihoods in India where 70% of its rural households still depend primarily on agriculture for their livelihood, with 82 percent of farmers being small and marginal (FAO). The majority of small and marginal farmers as well as the landless peasants depend on the other livelihood activity such as livestock and non-timber forest products for sustenance in states like Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Maharashtra, etc. Some of the non-timber forest products are a catalyst for their income, and custard apple (also called Sitafal/Sarifa in some regions) is one of them. Many communities are involved in the cultivation of custard apple in different states. One such community called Banjara is significantly engaged in cultivating custard apples in Maharashtra's Beed district. In this paper, the readers can get a holistic view of the value chain of the custard apple. The case study demonstrates how a small tribal community-driven enterprise turns profitable by processing custard apples in the Beed district of Maharashtra. Taking cue from the case, the government can promote cultivation and processing of custard apples among the tribal community as an alternative means of livelihood and income augmentation.