Papaya: Health Benefits, Production, Exports from India

Papaya is the fruit of the plant Carica papaya, which is native to Southern Mexico and Central America, but has long been known and cultivated in the home gardens of people in tropical and sub-tropical areas. It is one of the few crops that bear fruit throughout the year, offering quick return on investments. Papaya has grown from being a home-garden crop to a commercial crop in many tropical countries.

Health benefits of papaya

Papayas are not only colourful and tasty, but they also provide several vitamins, particularly of the B group, several antioxidant molecules such as flavonoids, carotene and vitamin C, as well as foliates, trace minerals, pantothenic acid, potassium, magnesium and dietary fibre. This wide and extended range of micronutrients makes papaya very nutritious. Its health benefits are numerous, ranging from reducing the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases to protection against colon cancer. Papaya contains a high amount of potassium and its flesh is very high in Vitamin A. Some of the health benefits of papaya are:

1. Papaya is very good for those who frequently suffer from colds, coughs or flu because it boosts the immune system.
2. Papaya is also very good for the hair and helps in controlling dandruff. Papaya shampoos are available in many health stores.
3. Papaya seeds and leaves are useful in treating intestinal worms.
4. Papaya helps prevent constipation and also cures indigestion.
5. Papaya juice helps in alleviating infections of the colon by clearing away the infection, pus and mucus. Regular consumption of papaya juice helps in reducing the problem.
6. The skin of papaya is excellent for treating skin wounds that do not heal quickly.
7. Papaya is low in calories and high in nutritional value. Hence it is an excellent food for those on a diet.
8. Regular consumption of papaya helps to relieve morning sickness and nausea.
9. Papaya has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancerous properties. The anti-inflammatory properties help reduce pain for those suffering from arthritis and osteoporosis.
10. Raw papaya also helps in reducing menstrual irregularities.
11. Papaya is a stomach cleanser.

Global trends in papaya cultivation

Papayas are grown in around 60 countries, with the bulk of production occurring in developing economies. The global production of papaya was 10.5 million tonnes during 2009- 10, which is estimated to increase to 12.5 million tonnes during 2012- 13. This growth in production has been accompanied by an increase in productivity from 14 tonnes to 26 tonnes per hectare.

With some 54 Lakh tonnes of Papaya production in 2013-14; India is world’s largest producer of this fruit. The largest Papaya producing states include Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh & Maharashtra. Three notable varieties of Papaya in India include Pusa Delicious, Pusa Dwarf and Pusa Nanha.

The other major papaya producing countries are Brazil, which accounts for 17.1 per cent of the world’s harvest, followed by Indonesia with 7.3 per cent, Nigeria with 7.2 per cent and Mexico at 6.7 per cent.

Trends in the global exports of papaya

Globally, papaya exports went up over the period from 2002-03 to 2010-11, although the growth was somewhat erratic. Total exports in 2009-10 were about 268,476 metric tonnes and the estimated value was $197.2 million. Although the quantity traded internationally has been consistently increasing, it still represents only a small share—less than 3 per cent of the global production of papaya. These dominated the papaya export market in the world during the period 2002-03 to 2010-11. During that period, Mexico was the leading papaya exporter, contributing about 41 per cent of the world’s papaya trade, while Brazil and Belize accounted for about 11 per cent of the trade. Other major papaya exporting countries include Malaysia, India and the United States.

In the case of India, despite being the world’s leading papaya producer, exports of the fruit in 2009 were less than 1 per cent of its total production. Indian domestic demand for papaya has been very strong because of a sizeable population, a significant rise in per capita income, and a growing interest in healthier food products. The US accounts for more than 50 per cent of papaya imports, followed by Singapore, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, UK, Spain and Portugal.

Papaya production in India

The total area under papaya cultivation in India was 1,026,000 hectares, and the output was 3,911,600 tonnes in 2009-10. In India, the major papaya producing state is Andhra Pradesh, which contributes around 38 per cent of the country’s produce. Its annual output is 1.5 million tonnes, with a yield of 80 tonnes per hectare. It is followed by Gujarat, which produced 832,000 tonnes in 2009-10, followed by Karnataka, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Of these, the top four states alone accounted for 79 per cent of the total papaya production in 2009-10. Among these fruit-growing states, papaya occupies a special place. Like banana, it is available throughout the year and is very easy to cultivate. It produces the highest income per unit area, next to banana, and has high nutritive and medicinal value. The dried latex of its raw fruit is used in meat tenderising, chewing gum and cosmetics, silk degumming, and making wool shrink-resistant. In addition, it is used in pharmaceutical, textiles, adhesive manufacturing, sewage disposal and other industries.

Export of papaya from India

India’s relatively small export volumes go to UAE, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, USA, Germany, Britain and Bahrain. India exported 17,925 metric tonnes of papaya during 2009-10.

Major problems in papaya production

The various problems faced by Indian farmers while cultivating papaya are:

1. Low productivity due to the traditional cultivation practices of local varieties
2. Problems of plant diseases, particularly threat from a new kind of pest called ‘mealy bug’
3. Lack of awareness on post-harvest handling and marketing
4. Non-availability of high-yield varieties of papaya fruit
5. Ineffective and inefficient promotional activities

Measures needed

1. In order to improve productivity, it is essential to introduce highyielding varieties and adopt modern technologies in production methods; take remedial measures to control crop diseases; introduce environment- friendly methods; and provide good training programmes to farmers on recommended pre- and postharvest treatments.
2. Set up better cold storage facilities to improve marketing efficiency
3. Promote not only papaya but also its value-added products
4. Develop blended papaya leather to enhance the fruit’s commercial value and provide a diversified product range in the market
5. Convert the papaya fruit into juices, blended beverages, jam, jelly, fruit bars and candy
6. Institute national awards for excellent performance, particularly for small farmers who have demonstrated very high productivity over a period of time