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New flavours in the fruit bowl

exotic, yet local
Last Updated 27 June 2016, 18:44 IST

A few lucky Bengalureans who visited select supermarkets this May got a chance to taste mangosteen, a fruit which first-timers would otherwise simply ignore, considering its dull appearance. But after cherishing the fragrant, juicy flesh inside the purple rind, a common thought crossed their minds: why was I not aware of this fruit before?

Such is the impact of the fruit that is slowly finding its ground in the State. Mangosteen, along with attractive, red-coloured rambutan, is leading the group of unconventional fruits that has caught the imagination of growers and consumers in South India.

Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) and rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum) are mainly grown in Southeast Asia. According to records, both fruits were introduced in India in the 19th century. In Karnataka, nearly 5 decades ago, the Soans family in Moodbidri started experimenting with exotic tropical fruits and developed an orchard with select varieties. “If you start familiarising a fruit through sampling and value addition, it is just a matter of time before it becomes popular,” says Dr L C Soans, whose passion for fruit species has inspired many in the State.

Taste of the tropics
Until a decade ago, for the people of coastal Karnataka, fruits like rambutan, mangosteen, durian, dragon and longan were the exotic varieties available in the Soans Farm. Those who were passionate about fruits took saplings from there and as a result these fruit plants found a place in many backyards in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kodagu districts. Rambutan and mangosteen have dominated over other nontraditional crops for many reasons and this could be felt in their availability in local fruit shops. Consequently, over the years, the status of rambutan and mangosteen has changed from exotic fruits available in fruit enthusiasts’ backyard to alternative plantation crops. While the area under these crops is steadily increasing in South Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu; in Dakshina Kannada district alone, over a dozen farmers have taken up commercial cultivation.

It was Palli Srinivas Hegde who envisioned the commercial cultivation of both  crops 16 years ago. He intercropped mangosteen and rambutan separately with coconut in his farm, called Khajane Farms, near Udupi. The crops started yielding 12 years ago and the family’s innovative marketing plans proved successful in popularising the fruits. Explains K Natraj Hegde, son of Srinivas Hegde, “Initially, we targeted the student community in Manipal. We sold it in makeshift stalls on the roadside and provided information about the fruits through placards. Since the beginning, we have focused on direct marketing. And, the demand is increasing both in small towns and big cities.”

Farmers and experts feel that the agro-climatic condition of coastal Karnataka is suitable for rambutan and mangosteen. They have observed that these 2 crops, which require high rainfall and humidity, can sustain in the local ecosystem without  much intervention. In the last decade, there have been significant improvements in plant propagation of these crops. In the beginning, only seedlings were available and now farmers get grafted and budded plants. By and large, seedlings are used for mangosteen and budded plants for rambutan. Normally, rambutan starts yielding in 3-4 years and mangosteen in 6-7 years. Initial growth in mangosteen is very slow and demands proper care. The life of a mangosteen tree is hundreds of years while a rambutan tree yields for a few decades.

Both crops are water intensive and require both sunlight and shade. Farmers say that the water requirement is same as that of areca nut. Of late, farmers have taken up intensive cultivation and started planting it in the open field too. Both organic and chemical fertilisers are used to maintain good growth of the plants. The incidence of pest attack and diseases is considerably low in rambutan and almost nil in mangosteen. Still, some farmers use small quantity of chemical inputs to maintain the health of fruit, and claim that the quantity is much within the limits of set standards. Both the plants are known to give good yield. The harvest season for mangosteen is between April and June and for rambutan between May and August. Both the crops are labour intensive, which stresses the need for mechanisation of key activities like weeding and harvesting. Animals like squirrel and bat can inflict severe damage to the fruits, particularly rambutan, making it necessary to cover the trees with nets.

Though statistics point that rambutan is more popular among growers due to its early-yielding feature, mangosteen is considered to have a better potential due to the high medicinal value of the fruit. Experts also feel that mangosteen has an edge over rambutan due to other factors like better shelf life and value-addition possibilities. Interestingly, many have taken up cultivation of both fruit crops (in separate blocks) and the ratio varies with the agro-climatic conditions of the region. The saplings are normally sourced from nurseries in coastal Karnataka and Kerala.

Setting a trend
Meet Philip Madavath, who quit a remunerative job overseas to take up mangosteen cultivation. After learning the advantages of the fruit and the possibilities of growing it as a crop, Philip, over the years, has brought 100 acres in and around Ujire under mangosteen cultivation. “I initiated the process in 2004 with 10 acres and gradually expanded it,” he says. Be it the cultivation process or the usefulness of the crop, he got required information through the Internet. He also has an acre of rambutan.

Jacob Chalissery, who grows rambutan and mangosteen in 22 acres in Ilanthila village near Uppinangady, provides a new perspective. He says, “Instead of having a single crop which limits farmers’ market exposure to a certain period, it is better to have a series of crops, both traditional and nontraditional, for a farm and a farmer to sustain.” Jacob has combined different fruit varieties like avocado, snake fruit, durian, longan, pomelo and dragon fruit in separate blocks in his farm. These fruit varieties that yield in different seasons enhance the viability and profitability of a farm. 

Interestingly, mangosteen and rambutan growers of the region have formed a network to ensure sustainable cultivation of these crops. These independent but connected efforts share their experiences from cultivation to marketing. They have also been addressing the issue of fruits’ unstable market price with an aim to make it affordable to both growers and consumers. Efforts like canning and value addition are being explored to increase the shelf life of the fruits.

The Central Horticultural Experiment Station in Chettalli has been organising workshops and field days to promote such potential crops. In fact, it has recently developed two cultivars of rambutan to cater to the varied needs of growers and the market.

“There has been a good response for the programmes. But one should not be taken away by the initial success of these crops. Both crops require intensive care and proper management. Moreover, cultivation methods are still emerging. Above all, growers should be able to create a market for these fruits, which are not yet widely accepted in the State,” cautions G Karunakaran, senior scientist (fruit crops), Indian Institute of Horticultural Research.

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(Published 27 June 2016, 17:17 IST)

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