A few farmers are growing apples successfully and profitably in Karnataka. They say the fruits of labour could be harvested in a year.
Published May 18, 2025 | 12:00 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 11, 2025 | 9:20 AM
Farmer Shrishail is growing apple on seven acres. (Supplied)
Synopsis: This is not about the tech giant Apple Inc., but about a few Karnataka farmers who fought odds to make apple farming a reality in the state. Their curiosity and grit have proved that the fruit that grows in cooler climes could be grown profitably in Karnataka. However, here’s a word of caution: The farmers are still experimenting.
Even as Cupertino, California-based multinational technology firm Apple Inc. opened its second facility in Bengaluru a year ago, a few farmers in Karnataka were engaged in an experiment to make what seemed impossible, possible.
Far from the 15-storey swankiness of the tech behemoth’s new office at Bengaluru’s Minsk Square, these farmers have scripted a success story, sweet and juicy, on Karnataka’s soil.
The challenges they faced were many. The major one was the climate, and then the lack of proper awareness. Determined, they overcame the hurdles, one by one.
Summers at Mudhol — popular for a native tall, sleek, and muscular sighthound — in Karnataka’s Bagalkote district are short, sweltering, humid, dry, and partly cloudy, and the winters are short, warm, oppressive, wet, windy, and overcast.
Yet, a farmer at Kulali in Mudhol has embarked on an experiment to grow apples, primarily cultivated in the cooler climes of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, the hills of Uttar Pradesh, and Uttaranchal.
Shrishail planted the Ansari Harman-99, golden dot variety saplings. (Supplied)
Curious and daring, farmer Shrishail took up the challenge to grow apples at Kulali. He planted saplings on seven acres and is now reaping benefits.
“I brought 2,620 seedlings of the Ansari Harman-99, golden dot variety, from Shirdi in Maharashtra and planted them on my seven acres. I used organic fertilisers along with Jeevamrit. Jeevamrit is a natural liquid organic manure used in farming to improve soil health as well as augment the growth of plants,” he told South First.
It was not the first time that Shrishail had taken up such a challenge. “I have earlier cultivated crops like sugarcane and grapefruit. But this time, I thought, why not experiment with apples? I know a lot of other farmers in Hosakote and Tumkuru had grown apples. It is a challenge to grow fruits like apples that are mostly grown in Kashmir, a cold region,” he said.
Bagalkote, where Kulali is located, is a district in North Karnataka where summers scorch at 40 degrees Celsius. The mercury drops to 30 degrees Celsius during winter.
Shrishail said he took up apple farming on an experimental basis. “I was curious and invested good money, time, and energy into it. You need drip irrigation to grow apples, and they have to be watered one hour daily so that the apples retain water. I have sold apples for ₹120 to ₹150 per kg across different districts in North Karnataka and earned a profit of ₹10 lakh this year,” he claimed.
The farmer has been employing the drip irrigation method to grow turmeric, watermelon, and vegetables.
In another success story, Basavaraj Valmiki, a farmer from Siddenahalli village in Hosakote, some 40 kilometres from Bengaluru, started growing apples in 2024.
“I started this experiment in 2024. But my research started in 2023 itself,” he said.
Basavaraj is determined to grow only Kashmiri apples. “I watched a lot of YouTube videos on how to grow Kashmiri apples. I know that when the temperature is high, it is difficult to grow Kashmiri apples. But I did not want to step down from experimenting. I spoke to some farmers in Tumakuru and also some people in Kashmir seeking guidance.”
Farmers are using the drip irrigation method to water the crop. (Supplied)
It was a long process. He learnt to select and plant saplings, watering them, and to keep pests away.
Unlike other fruits or vegetables, we can’t rush watering them. Therefore, I installed a drip irrigation system. This year, I have been able to sell 500 kg of apples for ₹120 per kg,” he said.
Siddappa Balgonda of Vijayapura district explained that, unlike grapes and pomegranate, apples are not delicate fruits. They are less prone to diseases and damage.
I have been growing apples since 2022, and it has proved to be successful. The apples grown in my fields have good demand in the market,” he told South First.
The farmer took guidance from university students and agriculture officers who knew the nuances of growing apples.
“The market price for an apple is ₹120 to ₹150 a kilogram. Everybody, especially the younger generation who are into dieting, eats fruits. So apples and other fruits have good demand,” his words reflected a health trend.
Jyothi Prakash of Chitradurga has been growing apples for four years. Unlike other crops for which we have to wait for years to get a good yield, we get a yield in the first year of apple farming. The yield and growth of apple trees also depend on the soil’s health. Initially, I planned to grow apples only on one acre, but later expanded it to a few more acres,” he said.
“Farmers can grow apples using organic fertiliser or the usual fertiliser used for other crops. The profit is good. But I cannot say this is the same for every farmer. All farmers have different problems, and it also depends on the methods used while growing apples,” he said.
Many farmers now visit Jyothi’s farm, seeking advice on growing apples. And he is happy to share his experience.
Umesh Mirji, Managing Director of Horticultural Producers’ Cooperative Marketing and Processing Society (HOPCOMS), sounded apprehensive while saying apple is not grown extensively in Karnataka.
“Farmers are not growing apples everywhere across Karnataka. Some people are growing them here and there out of curiosity. But I am a bit doubtful about the quality of apples in Karnataka when compared to those produced in Kashmir,” he added.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
