Kerala is the largest rubber producer in the country. More than a decade back, its rubber production started falling as growers found it unprofitable owing to rising production costs and falling prices amid cheap imports from Vietnam and Indonesia.
Bordering Karnataka, Ulikkal village in the Kannur district was a lush landscape that was once predominantly a rubber-growing area. Among millions of rubber farmers, Biju Narayanan’s family who cultivated rubber on one-third of the farmland, also lost their major income source with plummeting profitability. It became costlier to produce rubber than to sell it.
The average cost of production was around Rs 160 per kg and the selling price was Rs 110 per kg. “The rates in rubber were dwindling as farmers could fetch only Rs 100 per kg from rubber. A labourer could earn more wages daily. It was not sufficient for farmers,” he informs.
Biju reconsidered the agricultural practices and made the bold decision to replace seven acres of his family’s rubber trees with a variety of like rambutan, mangosteen, pepper, areca nut, coconut, cashew, and other crops. “I axed most of the rubber trees to try new plantations. People called me a madman,” laughs the progressive farmer.
Biju opted for high-density plantations and multi-crops to maximise returns from land.
This decision, once criticised and deemed as madness by many, including his own family, has since blossomed into a lucrative agribusiness model. “I knew I must prove my decision correct because my family, neighbours, and friends thought it was a crazy decision. I took it as a challenge and turned agriculture into agri-business,” he adds.
Today, Biju earns Rs 9 to 15 lakh per acre from rambutan farming alone. We sat down with him to understand how he rewrote the traditional farming script.
Biju is a mechanical engineer by profession. Educated at Dakshina Kannada’s KVG College of Engineering, he initially juggled his studies with managing the family farm. At 18, when he was in his first year of college, he lost his father and the responsibility of the farm fell on him.
“I had to manage both the farm and my studies simultaneously. That was the only way to manage our expenses. I had no choice. I am the eldest son of my family and I had to look after my younger sister and mother,” he says.
Biju grows a variety of exotic fruits like rambutan, mangosteen, cashew, and other crops.
After graduation, he ventured into the corporate world and worked for 10 years before returning to his roots — farming. “It was a little difficult to do both jobs of managing farm work and corporate work. Over the time, I had lost interest in the redundant work of corporate so I quit the job to focus on my farm,” he says.
Turning away from monoculture, he opted for high-density plantations and multi-crops to maximise returns from land. “I practice multi-level cropping with four to five plants of different heights. For instance, I planted coconut trees as the outermost plantation that grows up to 45 feet in height. Then, I planted mangosteen which are 25 feet tall, followed by peppers of 15 feet, bananas of 10 feet, and ginger and tapioca, which are two to five feet tall,” he says.
“They get enough sunlight as the crops are different in height. This means we can get produce from four to five crops simultaneously,” he adds. This method ensures efficient use of space, and adequate sunlight for each plant, and results in a bustling, layered green farm.
One of Biju’s most successful ventures has been into the world of exotic fruit, notably the Rambutan. By adopting , where he places 100 plants per acre instead of the conventional 50 to 60, he has seen his yields skyrocket.
“In 2010, I planted Rambutan plants. I knew that in five years, I would get 40 kg of rambutan from each plant and up to 60 kg in seven years. Today, I get 80 kg produce from each plant,” he shares. Last year, he harvested over 6,000 kg of rambutan per acre. Selling them for Rs 250 per kg, he earned Rs 15 lakh per acre through .
Biju offers a beacon of hope and a model for sustainability and profitability.
He also highlights the financial advantages of direct selling and using social media platforms to bypass middlemen. “If I had sought help from middlemen, I would have only got Rs 190 to 200 for my produce. I tapped into the power of social media, and used Facebook to get customers,” he adds.
Sustainability is another cornerstone of Biju’s farming practice. His approach blends 80 percent organic inputs like cow dung, cow urine, and vermicompost with 20 percent inorganic substances, such as potash, to enhance the growth of plants while maintaining soil health.
Interestingly, fertiliser is often applied using foliar techniques. “In this method, fertiliser is dissolved in water to be directly sprayed on plant leaves. This on-the-spot nutrition speeds up essential nutrient uptake by plants and eliminates common nutrient deficiencies,” he says.
Biju offers a beacon of hope and a model for sustainability and profitability. He says he finds profound personal fulfilment in this achievement. “Farmers must learn new ways of farming to make it profitable. Since I started earning more from my land, my life has changed entirely. I never regret quitting my job; I feel like a King,” he laughs.
Edited by Pranita Bhat; All photos: Biju Narayanan.
Bordering Karnataka, Ulikkal village in the Kannur district was a lush landscape that was once predominantly a rubber-growing area. Among millions of rubber farmers, Biju Narayanan’s family who cultivated rubber on one-third of the farmland, also lost their major income source with plummeting profitability. It became costlier to produce rubber than to sell it.
The average cost of production was around Rs 160 per kg and the selling price was Rs 110 per kg. “The rates in rubber were dwindling as farmers could fetch only Rs 100 per kg from rubber. A labourer could earn more wages daily. It was not sufficient for farmers,” he informs.
Biju reconsidered the agricultural practices and made the bold decision to replace seven acres of his family’s rubber trees with a variety of like rambutan, mangosteen, pepper, areca nut, coconut, cashew, and other crops. “I axed most of the rubber trees to try new plantations. People called me a madman,” laughs the progressive farmer.
Biju opted for high-density plantations and multi-crops to maximise returns from land.
This decision, once criticised and deemed as madness by many, including his own family, has since blossomed into a lucrative agribusiness model. “I knew I must prove my decision correct because my family, neighbours, and friends thought it was a crazy decision. I took it as a challenge and turned agriculture into agri-business,” he adds.
Today, Biju earns Rs 9 to 15 lakh per acre from rambutan farming alone. We sat down with him to understand how he rewrote the traditional farming script.
Maximising yield with multi-crops on the same land
Biju is a mechanical engineer by profession. Educated at Dakshina Kannada’s KVG College of Engineering, he initially juggled his studies with managing the family farm. At 18, when he was in his first year of college, he lost his father and the responsibility of the farm fell on him.
“I had to manage both the farm and my studies simultaneously. That was the only way to manage our expenses. I had no choice. I am the eldest son of my family and I had to look after my younger sister and mother,” he says.
Biju grows a variety of exotic fruits like rambutan, mangosteen, cashew, and other crops.
After graduation, he ventured into the corporate world and worked for 10 years before returning to his roots — farming. “It was a little difficult to do both jobs of managing farm work and corporate work. Over the time, I had lost interest in the redundant work of corporate so I quit the job to focus on my farm,” he says.
Turning away from monoculture, he opted for high-density plantations and multi-crops to maximise returns from land. “I practice multi-level cropping with four to five plants of different heights. For instance, I planted coconut trees as the outermost plantation that grows up to 45 feet in height. Then, I planted mangosteen which are 25 feet tall, followed by peppers of 15 feet, bananas of 10 feet, and ginger and tapioca, which are two to five feet tall,” he says.
“They get enough sunlight as the crops are different in height. This means we can get produce from four to five crops simultaneously,” he adds. This method ensures efficient use of space, and adequate sunlight for each plant, and results in a bustling, layered green farm.
Adopting new farming techniques
One of Biju’s most successful ventures has been into the world of exotic fruit, notably the Rambutan. By adopting , where he places 100 plants per acre instead of the conventional 50 to 60, he has seen his yields skyrocket.
“In 2010, I planted Rambutan plants. I knew that in five years, I would get 40 kg of rambutan from each plant and up to 60 kg in seven years. Today, I get 80 kg produce from each plant,” he shares. Last year, he harvested over 6,000 kg of rambutan per acre. Selling them for Rs 250 per kg, he earned Rs 15 lakh per acre through .
Biju offers a beacon of hope and a model for sustainability and profitability.
He also highlights the financial advantages of direct selling and using social media platforms to bypass middlemen. “If I had sought help from middlemen, I would have only got Rs 190 to 200 for my produce. I tapped into the power of social media, and used Facebook to get customers,” he adds.
Sustainability is another cornerstone of Biju’s farming practice. His approach blends 80 percent organic inputs like cow dung, cow urine, and vermicompost with 20 percent inorganic substances, such as potash, to enhance the growth of plants while maintaining soil health.
Interestingly, fertiliser is often applied using foliar techniques. “In this method, fertiliser is dissolved in water to be directly sprayed on plant leaves. This on-the-spot nutrition speeds up essential nutrient uptake by plants and eliminates common nutrient deficiencies,” he says.
Biju offers a beacon of hope and a model for sustainability and profitability. He says he finds profound personal fulfilment in this achievement. “Farmers must learn new ways of farming to make it profitable. Since I started earning more from my land, my life has changed entirely. I never regret quitting my job; I feel like a King,” he laughs.
Edited by Pranita Bhat; All photos: Biju Narayanan.