Due to rising production costs and stiff competition from cheap imports, traditional rubber farming was becoming unprofitable for many farmers in Kerala.
Once a struggling rubber farmer, Biju Narayanan went on to transform his own fortune and serve as a model for profitable farming practices in the region.
He decided to replace a significant portion of the rubber plantation with a diverse range of exotic fruits such as rambutan, mangosteen, pepper, areca nut, coconut, and cashew.
This was deemed as a ‘crazy decision’, but Biju turned it into a thriving agro-business model.
Turning away from monoculture, he opted for high-density plantations and multi-crops to maximise returns from land.
“I practise multilevel 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,” he says.
“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 adds.
This method ensures efficient use of space, and adequate sunlight for each plant, and results in a bustling, layered green farm.
Today, he earns up to Rs 15 lakh per acre from rambutan farming alone. He also leveraged the power of social media platforms like Facebook to directly connect with customers and command better prices for his produce.
As Biju himself puts it, “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 feel like a king!”