Tamarind cultivation and Expected returns

[ramaswamym]

Hello,

I have 5 acres of land with limited water supply in Tirupur region, TamilNadu. Considering Tamarind as a pension crop, planning to cultivate Tamarind(sweet variety). But many are discouraging me saying that it is labour intensive and not so easy to market the produce. So just want to know the economic feasibility of Tamarind cultivation.

 

[Ashwini]

Hi Ramaswamy,

Tamarind is a labour intensive crop. Tamarind has been described as one of the common and most important trees of India. India is the world's top producer, exporting several thousands of tonnes of seed, seed powder and fruit pulp each year. Marketing tamarind as such is difficult but There is a wide variety of tamarind products available in the market for consumption. They include tamarind paste, seedless dried tamarind, tamarind pods, tamarind concentrate, tamarind syrup, tamarind drink concentrate, tamarind sauce, tamarind chutney, tamarind dipping sauce, tamarind gelatin, tamarind candy etc.Tamarind may also be used as a base for delicious raw or cooked chutneys, its fruity acidity combining well with sugar, chilli and other flavours. Moreover tamarind concentrates are extensively used as an ingredient and an effective substitute for vinegar, tomatoes and lemon juice.

So try making these products and market which has a lot of demand .

REgards
Ashwini

 

[rk1948]

Is there any machine available to make tamarind powder in small quantity. Pl reply with the address of the company to krishnan.ramanathan1@gmail.com

 

[shanmuga06]

We are having the well known variety of "Tamarind"PKM-I promoted by TNAU .


For more details plz.contact us:97££ nooooooo

 

[ponsanthan]

Tamarind cultivation is a nice thought. It is nearly comparable with mango cultivation. Tamarind is a drought resistant tree, if grafted seedlings are planted we can get the yield with in 5 years. Additional soil and manure application will help the plant to grow fast and provide better yield. The garden / trees can be given for annual lease. Once the trees get established and giving good yield there are several vendors to take the crop for annual lease. It is a regular annual income. In addition some fodder crops and pulses can be cultivated as an intercrop in the same field.

 

[ramaswamym]

Thanks for the info about annual lease and inter cropping. If given for lease, any idea about how much the vendor will provide us per tonne/quintal.

 

[ramaswamym]

Is Tamarind"PKM-I promoted by TNAU, a sweet variety?

 

[ananyaagrotech]

Hello,

I have 5 acres of land with limited water supply in Tirupur region, TamilNadu. Considering Tamarind as a pension crop, planning to cultivate Tamarind(sweet variety). But many are discouraging me saying that it is labour intensive and not so easy to market the produce. So just want to know the economic feasibility of Tamarind cultivation.

25 trees acomodate one acer at the spacing 42x42 or 13x13m
The time for a tamarind tree to reach its first harvest will vary, depending on the method of propagation.
A tree propagated by bud-grafting will come into bearing in 3 to 4 years, whereas trees propagated by
seed may take up to 12 years. Practical management and local conditions will also affect the time for
trees to bear. A well tended tree, grown from seed, in an open area will come into bearing in about 7
years. Regardless of the method of propagation, pod yield should stabilise after 15 years. The tree has
a pod bearing capacity of 50-60 years, but may yield fruit for over 200 years.
Fruit ripeness and yield
Pod skin colour does not change rapidly with maturity and individual fruits mature at different times, so
harvesting should be carried out selectively. Mature fruits should have a brown shell, while immature
pods have a green skin. At maturity, the fruits are filled with a sticky brown to reddish-brown pulp and
the seeds become hard and glossy. The pod skin becomes brittle as the pulp shrinks and the shell can
be broken easily by hand. The ripe pod produces a hollow sound when tapped with the finger.
The yield of a tamarind tree varies considerably and is dependent on genetic
and environmental factors. Pod yield can also be cyclic, with bumper yields in every third year. A
young tree may yield 20-30kg of fruit per tree in a year and a full-grown adult tree can yield about
150-200kg of fruit per tree in a year. An average tamarind tree may yield 100kg of fruit per tree in a
year. Pod yield can decline after 50 years. Once the pod yield is no longer profitable, the tree may be
harvested for charcoal or fuelwood. if you want any more details feel free to contact ananyaagrotech@yahoo.co.in