Exotic fruits such as rambutan and mangosteen have become popular on the western coasts and also bring in a lot more money for the farmers.
Seven years ago Renny Jacob planted rambutan after cutting down rubber trees in Kottayam, India. Everyone thought he was crazy as they did not believe that the fruit would sell.
However, now Jacob is harvesting 12 tonnes of rambutan annually. Exotic fruits such as rambutan and mangosteen are becoming popular in the western coast and the entire production of rambutan sells within weeks of being harvested.
Furthermore, farmers generally gain a possible net of around Rs 30,000 per acre from rubber however exotic fruits such as rambutan earns Jacob 5 to 10 times that amount.
Rambutan has grown widely across Kerala and Karnataka with Jacob and his brother supplying the saplings.
Harvest is between June-August and other exotic fruits such as dragon fruit and durian are also being farmed. These exotic fruits earn more Rs per kilo than general fruit in India (fruit is usually Rs 250 per kilo and fruit such as mangosteen can earn about Rs 400 per kilo), however Jacob has said that the exotic fruit rambutan and mangosteen can still sell for less money as it is not expensive to produce as it barely requires any pesticides and starts bearing fruits from the third year.
