VIJAYAWADA: Perhaps for the first time in Andhra Pradesh, 30-year-old Boragam Venkat, panchayat secretary and an Adivasi youth from Mamidigondi village in Polavaram mandal of Eluru district, has cultivated the exotic gac fruit.
Known globally as ‘heavenly fruit’, the nutrient-rich gac starts attracting farmers and fruit lovers for its commercial potential and health benefits. Venkat’s parents Rama Rao and Venkayamma have supported his efforts to raise innovative crops as they hail from an agricultural family.
A BTech Electrical and Electronics Engineering graduate from GIET Engineering College in Rajamahendravaram, Venkat brought gac plants from Kerala in November 2023. By May 2024, the plants began yielding fruit. With the help of his parents, wife Lakshmi, and son Rithik, he has turned their backyard into a flourishing gac fruit orchard.
Gac fruit, part of the watermelon family, is recognised for its vibrant orange skin, oval shape, and striking red seeds encased in yellow-green pulp. It undergoes four distinct colour changes during ripening, and requires male and female plants for cross-pollination. Hand pollination can also be done. Native to Southeast Asia, the gac fruit is celebrated for its exceptional nutritional profile. It is rich in beta-carotene, lycopene, omega fatty acids, and essential nutrients.
The fruit aids eyesight, heart health, and cancer prevention, and is used in traditional medicine. It is also prized for its skin-brightening properties. Currently, gac fruit sells locally for around Rs 500 per kg, but can fetch up to Rs 1,500 in wider markets, making it highly profitable. It is versatile and gaining popularity for its unique flavour and health benefits.
The gac fruit, the spiny bitter gourd or baby jackfruit, is celebrated as a superfruit. Its beta-carotene content is up to 10 times more than carrots, and 70 times more than tomatoes, promoting vision, skin health, and immunity. Rich in vitamins E and C, it also has anti-inflammatory, and anti-ageing properties, while its essential fatty acids enhance its health benefits.
“I have planted 300 gac plants so far, and the results are promising. By June 2025, I plan to expand the gac cultivation to two acres with 1,000 plants. Each plant can produce up to 60 fruits, weighing 1.5 to 2 kg,” Venkat explained.
Farmers and Agriculture Department officials have been visiting Venkat’s orchard to study his cultivation methods, and assess the gac potential for large-scale farming. Recently, a Telangana Collector discussed the crop’s viability with Venkat, reflecting the growing interest in gac.
Bodduluri Seshu Kumar of Ramiredii Palli in Nandigama mandal, said “Venkat’s success in gac fruit cultivation highlights its potential as a lucrative crop for Andhra Pradesh. His efforts inspire other farmers like us to adopt innovative and sustainable farming practices while tapping into global demand for this superfood.”