Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka's celebrated coffee-growing hill district, is witnessing a rapid expansion in avocado farming as an intercrop alongside traditional coffee and pepper plantations — a practice that received a significant national spotlight when Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted it in the 137th episode of Mann Ki Baat on Sunday, 31 August. The endorsement is expected to accelerate an already-growing movement among farmers in the region who have discovered a reliable secondary income stream without needing additional farmland.

What PM Modi Said

In his monthly radio address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi specifically called out the innovative intercropping model taking root in Chikkamagaluru. He also mentioned Chandrashekharan, a farmer from Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu, who began cultivating avocados on half a hectare of land and saw his income rise sharply as a result.

'In Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka, some farmer brothers and sisters have even planted avocados amidst their coffee plantations. This allows them to earn additional income alongside coffee and black pepper,' Modi said. He added: 'We often hear about the avocado toast in city restaurants, but through this very avocado, our innovative farmers have discovered a new recipe for earning.'

The Intercrop Model Taking Root

Traditionally, Chikkamagaluru — often called the birthplace of coffee in India — has centred its agricultural economy on coffee, pepper, and spices. In recent months, however, avocado cultivation as an intercrop has gained considerable traction across multiple locations in the district, including Kalasa, Balehonnuru, Mudigere, Jayapura, N.R. Pura, Koppa, and Kadur.

The model, which farmers describe as 'one plantation, multiple sources of income', allows growers to cultivate avocados within existing coffee estates — eliminating the need for separate farmland and reducing overhead costs significantly.

Why Farmers Are Switching

According to farmers in the region, the appeal of avocado intercropping is rooted in economic stability. Coffee and pepper prices are subject to sharp market fluctuations, which can severely impact seasonal earnings. Avocado, by contrast, has offered a steadier income stream, particularly as demand for avocado-based food products has risen sharply in hotels and restaurants across urban centres.

Multiple farmers noted that the surge in urban demand — driven in part by the popularity of dishes like avocado toast in city restaurants — has made the fruit a commercially viable addition to their existing plantations. With PM Modi's public acknowledgement now adding institutional visibility to the practice, interest among farmers who had been on the fence is expected to intensify further.

Broader Significance for Indian Agriculture

This comes amid a wider national push to diversify farm income and reduce dependence on single-crop agriculture. Intercropping models that leverage existing land and infrastructure are increasingly being promoted as a sustainable path for smallholder farmers. Chikkamagaluru's avocado experiment, now carrying the weight of a prime ministerial endorsement, could serve as a replicable template for other hill districts across India with similar agro-climatic conditions.

With growing institutional attention and a proven income model already in place, Chikkamagaluru's avocado farmers appear well-positioned to scale — and the district's agricultural identity may soon extend well beyond its famous coffee.