Voluptuous By Name, Tart In Taste, 'Rasbhari' Cultivation Is Now Big In Bihar
Call it tyapari, makko or cape gooseberry, the exotic fruit with health benefits has captured the imagination of urban consumers, turning profitable for Nalanda farmers.
Published : December 11, 2025 at 2:44 PM IST
By Mahmood Alam
Nalanda: Small, round, golden, encased in a papery husk, bursting with a sweet and tart juice and tiny seeds, with a whiff of peach and berries, they come in bunches carefully tied up with strings. Not only can they be eaten straight, they also work well in jams, jellies and beverages.
Once an exotic novelty, the cape gooseberry — originating in Peru but achieving a global reach when South Africans began cultivating it for export in the Cape of Good Hope region (hence the modern English name) — was quickly adopted into urban Indian homes, once farmers and fruitsellers began calling it rasbhari (ras = juice; bhari = full of) in Hindi.
The naming was pure marketing genius — exotic enough to be conflated with the red European fruit raspberry that few in India has seen or tasted, desi enough to conjure slightly illicit thoughts. The kicker to its rising popularity came from social media videos extolling its various health benefits, some of which (like moderate levels of Vitamins C) is supported by science. That the fruit doesn't spoil for several days is an added bonus for wholesellers and transporters.
Although it grows best in temperate climates, and has been grown in gardens across Bengal since the fruit arrived in these shores with the colonials during the Columbian Exchange, northern states of Punjab and Rajasthan were early adopters to the cultivation potential of rasbhari, also called tyapari (possibly derived from the Bengali word for "inflated") and makko in Bihar.
Bihar Steps In With Makko
And now, Bihar's rural Nalanda district, which is known for its cultivation of potatoes, onions, and other vegetables, has begun harvesting the now-indigenised fruit as a minor winter crop. This is part of a larger movement among Bihar's farmers, of abandoning (or supplementing) traditional crops to cultivate exotic fruits that fetch higher returns.
In Nalanda, rasbhari or makko cultivation was first started by Asgar Ali, a farmer from Dattasarai in Islampur. He cultivated these on 5 katha land as a hobby, using seeds he had ordered from Chhattisgarh. When he earned Rs 50,000 as profit with minimal investment, the word quickly spread across the region. Ali is no longer alive, but the farmers who obtained seeds from him have started to change their fortunes.
Cultivation of makko begins at the end of the previous season, when farmers wash, dry and store seeds, before planting them in the month of Baisakh (April-May). While compost and manure is used to fertilise the soil, a good harvest requires NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, potash) fertilisers. Once fruits begin to appear, villagers keep close watch to protect the crop from wild animals. Once the plant starts bearing fruit, it continues to produce abundantly for around 3 months.
Proper drainage is essential for the cultivation of rasbhari. Excess water can cause the plant's roots to rot. Hence, they are planted in beds that are raised 20-25 cm above the ground. The plantation requires weeding 3-4 times per season.
Makko Turns Profitable For Nalanda
Across five villages of Silao block in Nalanda, located just 7 km from the district headquarters Biharsharif, rasbhari has become the new attraction in agricultural fields. Farmers are earning substantial profits by cultivating the fruit.
Farmers Mohammad Ahmed and Mohammad Shahzad, who cultivate makko, told ETV Bharat that dozens of farmers in the five neighbouring villages of Sabbait, Rani Bigha, Raghu Bigha, Niyamatpur, and Juafar, are earning their livelihood by cultivating this fruit. "In Sabbait, makko is cultivated on 50-60 bighas of land. Besides farming, we do other work. We send our fruits to Kolkata, Hyderabad, Delhi, and even abroad," said Shahzad.
Farmers say the soil in these areas, called balsundari mitti, is well suited for makko cultivation. One bigha of makko yields 200-250 kg of fruit.
"I've been cultivating makko for 15 years. I cultivate it on one bigha, and earn Rs 10-20,000 in profits. It takes 3-4 months from planting to fruiting, with the fruit getting ready for harvesting in 4-5 months. Each plant yields 5-10 kg fruits. The cost of cultivating makko on one bigha is Rs 40,000, while the profit is roughly Rs 1-1.5 lakh. Big traders buy our produce and take it away," said farmer Mohammad Ahmed.
Farmers here scatter makko seeds in July, and it is ready for sale by January. In the local market, the price ranges from Rs 100-150 per kg. But by the time they are transported for sale in India's metros and abroad, it goes up to Rs 250-1,200.
Health Benefits
Fruit expert Preeti at Noorsarai Horticulture College said, "Rasbharis are very nutritious. They contain important nutrients like polyphenols, vitamins A and C, calcium, and phosphorus, which boosts our immunity and protects against stomach problems."
"Rasbhari contains antioxidants, Vitamin C, polyphenols, etc, while being low in calories, so it can be eaten as a snack. It helps in weight loss. It improves eyesight, strengthens the digestive system, controls blood pressure in hypertensive patients, strengthens bones, and protects against colds and flu," said Chandra Bhushan, an Ayurvedic physician.
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