Custard Apple (Sitaphal) Farming in India 2026
A sweet, creamy fruit that thrives on dry, rocky wasteland.
Overview
Custard apple (sitaphal or sharifa) is a hardy fruit tree ideally suited to dry, rocky and marginal land that suits few other crops. Across drought prone parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat, custard apple has turned wastelands and hill slopes into a source of steady income. The tree survives on low rainfall, tolerates poor shallow soils and asks for little once established, yet its soft, sweet, creamy fruit fetches good prices in city markets and is in rising demand for pulp and ice cream. Improved commercial varieties such as Balanagar and the high pulp golden selections give larger, better fruit than wild trees. Custard apple suits farmers who want a low water, low maintenance orchard that can produce for many years. With high density planting, drip irrigation and good post harvest handling of the delicate fruit, it offers attractive returns from semi-arid land. It is a proven dryland horticulture success in Maharashtra.
Climate
Custard apple thrives in hot, dry tropical and semi-arid climates with a distinct dry season. It tolerates drought well and needs warm temperatures for good fruiting. The tree sheds leaves and rests in the dry winter, then flushes and flowers with the warm pre-monsoon and monsoon weather. It is sensitive to frost, so cold pockets are unsuitable. Moderate rainfall during the growing season is enough.
Soil
Custard apple grows on a wide range of soils including shallow, rocky, gravelly and red soils where other crops fail. It prefers well drained light to medium soils and tolerates poor fertility. A pH from about 6.5 to 8 is suitable. Good drainage is important because the tree cannot stand waterlogging, which causes root rot and tree decline.
Planting & Spacing
Custard apple is planted from grafted plants or seedlings of improved varieties at the start of the monsoon. Spacing ranges from about 5 by 5 metres in normal planting to closer 4 by 3 metres in high density orchards, giving from roughly 160 up to over 400 plants per acre. Dig pits with farmyard manure and provide drip irrigation for faster, more uniform establishment and earlier fruiting.
Varieties
Balanagar is the most popular commercial variety, valued for its aroma, taste and reliable yield. High pulp, fewer seed selections such as the golden or NMK type developed by farmers in Maharashtra give larger, more profitable fruit. Other types include Arka Sahan, Red Sitaphal and various local improved selections, each differing in fruit size, pulp content and ripening time.
Care & Management
Custard apple needs light annual pruning to remove dead wood and shape the tree, and farmyard manure with balanced fertiliser. Drip irrigation during flowering and fruit set greatly improves yield and fruit size even though the tree is drought hardy. Hand pollination can boost fruit set in poor seasons. Mulching conserves moisture, and keeping the orchard clean reduces pests.
Pests & Diseases
Mealybugs are the most troublesome pest, clustering on fruit and shoots and causing sticky damage and sooty mould. Fruit borer, scale insects and the custard apple stem borer also occur. Anthracnose and fruit rot affect fruit in humid weather. Manage with field sanitation, biological control of mealybugs, removal of affected fruit, and need based sprays.
Yield & Harvest
Custard apple gives its first commercial crop in about the third to fourth year and stabilises from the fifth year. Fruit ripens mainly from September to November after the monsoon. Yields range from about 6 to 8 tonnes per acre in well managed high density orchards, sometimes more. Fruit is picked at the firm mature stage just before ripening because it softens fast and bruises easily.
Cost & Profit
Custard apple is cheap to establish and low in upkeep, making it well suited to marginal dryland farms. Growers commonly report net returns ranging from around one and a half lakh to three and a half lakh rupees per acre per year once orchards mature, with market prices for quality fruit often quoted in the range of several tens of rupees per kilogram. These are indicative ranges drawn from grower reports, and real income depends heavily on yield, fruit quality, variety and prices, so treat them as estimates rather than guarantees.
These are indicative ranges. Actual cost and income vary by region, market and management, so verify locally.
Market & Demand
Fresh custard apple sells well in city wholesale markets and retail during its short autumn season, and quality fruit from improved varieties fetches premium prices. The pulp is in strong demand for ice cream, milkshakes, juices and desserts, opening a steady processing market. Because the fruit is highly perishable, careful harvesting, grading, packing and quick transport are essential, and pulp extraction offers a good value addition route.
Subsidy & Support
Custard apple plantation is supported under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture, with assistance for planting, drip irrigation and farm ponds through state horticulture departments. Maharashtra and other states promote sitaphal under dryland and wasteland horticulture programmes, and the rural employment scheme can support orchard establishment on farmer land. Check current rates locally and apply through the horticulture office.
Where to grow it in India
Frequently asked questions
Can custard apple grow on poor rocky land?
When does custard apple start giving fruit?
Which is the best variety of custard apple?
Why does custard apple fruit spoil quickly?
How much water does custard apple need?
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