Five farmers harvesting bumper profits from rambutan farming

Once an unfamiliar fruit seen only in supermarkets or imported crates, rambutan has grown firm roots in Indian soil. With its striking red, spiky shell and juicy, lychee-like pulp, rambutan has captured both consumer curiosity and farmer interest. What began as an experimental crop in Kerala and Karnataka is proving to be a profitable, long-term investment for farmers.

The tree takes four to five years to bear fruit, but once established, it produces abundant yields for decades.

A well-maintained rambutan tree can yield fruit for 100 years, but even 25 years is good enough for farmers to make bumper profits.

The fruit commands a high retail price, ranging between Rs150 and Rs350 per kg in urban markets due to its novelty, nutritional value and limited domestic production.

Successful growers use organic manure and regular pruning to maintain soil health and encourage uniform fruiting. Balanced fertilisation and pest control through natural means, like neem-based sprays, ensure quality without chemical use. They suggest planting grafted saplings instead of seeds to shorten the waiting period and improve fruit quality.

Demand for rambutan has surged among health-conscious consumers and in premium retail stores. Farmers who market directly through local markets, supermarkets, or farm-to-home models earn significantly more. 

With India’s tropical climate aligning well with rambutan’s growing needs, and increasing consumer interest in exotic fruits, the crop holds high potential for export and domestic expansion. 

Here are five farmers who have turned their rambutan orchards into profit centres:

1. Lohith Shetty 

Lohith bought saplings of rambutan from Kerala and planted them on his farm in Dakshin Kannada district, Karnataka. Over 12 years old, the trees now yield 80-100 kg of fruit per season. Wholesalers buy them from the farm at Rs350 a kg or above.

 “The first harvest is around 25 kg per plant, which goes up to 40 kg per plant from the fourth year onwards,” Lohith points out, adding that exotic fruit farming is highly profitable. 

He now has 2700 rambutan plants over 8 acres and intercrops them with areca nut. “In the current season, I am selling rambutan at Rs300 per kg,” he says.

Read his story here: Karnataka’s millionaire farmer harvests 100 kg rambutan and mangosteen per tree; sells at Rs350 per kg

2. Shino Matthew 

Shino quit his job with Axis Bank and started rambutan farming in 2015 in Thodapuzha, Kerala. He has planted the N18 variety over 4 acres with yields reaching up to 100 kg per season for 10-year-old trees. 

“The trees, which I planted in 2015, now yield up to 100 kg of rambutan every season (June to September/October), provided the climatic conditions remain good,” he says. At Rs 140 to Rs 150 per kg, each old tree can give around Rs 14,000 annually,” he says.

Read his full story here: MBA farmer replaces family’s rubber plantation with rambutan; old trees yield 100 kg per season

3. Chethan Shetty

In 2017, Chethan, an engineer, quit his job to become a full-time farmer despite his family’s opposition. Today, he cultivates rambutan, mangosteen, avocado and other fruits on his organic farm in Bellare near Mangaluru, Karnataka.  

Each rambutan tree on his organic farm yields 25-30 kg of output per year, with the wholesale price at around Rs 300 per kg. This amounts to annual revenue of around Rs8000 per tree, though he earns more through home deliveries at Rs350 per kg. 

Here’s his story: This engineer quit his job to grow exotic fruits; sells rambutan and mangosteen at Rs350 per kg

4. Saju MC

In 2020, Saju MC replaced rubber plantations with rambutan and dragon fruit farming as they are low-maintenance plants with long lives. Rambutan yields fruit for 100 years, and dragon fruit for 25 years. 

“In one acre, I planted rambutan at a plant-to-plant gap of 20 ft X 20ft, accommodating around 100 to 110 plants. The plantation was done between June and September 2020 over five acres,” he says.

In the third year, Saju harvested 15 kg of rambutan per plant. “In the current season, the yield has doubled to 30 kg. After this, the yield will increase by 10 percent every year,” he says, adding he earns Rs 6 lakh per acre with minimum maintenance of rambutan.

Here’s his story: Kerala farmer replaces rubber with rambutan and dragon fruit; earns Rs 6 lakh per acre

5. Biju Narayanan

Biju follows multi-level and high-density farming for exotic fruits in Kannur, Kerala. He retails rambutan at Rs300 per kg and mangosteen at Rs400 per kg. On his immensely profitable farm, he earns Rs 15 lakh per acre.

Typically, in high-density plantations, rambutan yield is 3500 kg per acre after five years and can go up to 7000 kg to 8,000 kg after seven years. Last year, Biju harvested over 6,000 kg of rambutan per acre. “I sell rambutan in wholesale at Rs 250 per kg and Rs 300 per kg on a retail basis,” he says. At a base price of Rs 250 per kg, he earned Rs 15 lakh per acre (Rs 45 lakh from 3 acres) through rambutan farming.

Read his story here: Kerala farmer harvests 6000 kg rambutan per acre with high-density farming

(US Anu is a Madurai-based writer. She specialises in stories around human interest, environment and art and culture.)

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