Competition for Guavas, again

Apr 02, 2026

It is that time of year again at Gobelo. The guava trees are bursting with fruit which tends to ripen far too quickly. And as always, we are not the only ones with our eyes on the trees.

The truth is! Guava season has never really belonged to just us. From the moment there are signs of fruit that’s ready for ready, the monkeys seem to be ever present. And at times, they are even a step ahead. If you walk past a tree thinking you will come back later - by the time you return, they will have already cleared out half of the pickings. No explanation given.

Someone shared a photo of freshly harvested guavas sitting in a bowl in the team chat with a caption that perfectly captured the struggle. The caption read, “It is that time again at Gobelo farm! Our naughty fellows are back to wrestle us for these fruits, but it looks like they have spared some at least for a time.” After years of shooing monkeys away from places they should not be, this is very spot on. Most days we manage to collect a decent amount of fruit, but other days we come back with empty baskets because they have already had their share even before we get there.

There is something slightly frustrating about that, especially when you know how close the fruit was to being ready. Or how long it takes to finally see the harvest. But at the same time, it is hard to ignore the fact that this is part of the environment we’re working in. We are growing food in a space that is shared and the monkeys are just as interested in savouring a good “juicy” guava as we are.

When we do manage to get to the fruit first, some of the guavas are eaten right off the tree, others find their way into juices, jams or simple snacks. It is one of those fruit that does not need much done to them to be enjoyed.

Guava season always comes with this small (and at times amusing) tug of war. We pick what we can, the monkeys take what they can and then we wait to see who will get the next lot as the trees keep on producing. It is an almost perfect system that we hope to continue to have if the monkeys will let us. For now, we will keep watch on the trees… though experience tells us the monkeys are probably watching just as closely and will probably end up with the lion’s share!

Until next time,
   the Gobelo Team