KOCHI: Twenty-nine-year-old Ashal P H possesses a rare passion that many of his peers wouldn’t dare explore. He has cultivated a variety of exotic fruits, including baraba and dragon fruit, at his home in Aluva. Having embarked on this journey during the Covid pandemic, the IT professional recently achieved success with the harvest of Cambodian wild grapes.
Ashal initially began cultivating yack, and over time, he expanded his efforts to include more than 10 varieties of exotic fruits. Notably, the Cambodian wild grape yielded an impressive bunch of 550 to 600 grapes. Employed at ZH Healthcare in Kochi, Ashal highlighted the unique characteristics of the plant, such as its ability to withstand Kerala’s changing climate and produce large grape bunches.
“The plant needed six to eight months to fruit. One bunch has around 550 to 600 grapes, which is the largest seen. A major characteristic of the plant is the huge bunches. As the flowers don’t fall to the changing climate of Kerala, it is suitable to be cultivated here,” Ashal said.
Driven by his curiosity and love for exotic fruits, he initiated home cultivation during the lockdown. An avid cyclist, he would collect saplings during his daily rides, starting with yack and Brazilian passion fruit, which proved to be successful. Ashal’s parents, especially his father Hassan, who works as an LIC agent and has a background in cultivating mango varieties, support and assist him in his farming endeavours.
In addition to the Cambodian wild grape, the family has planted various exotic fruits such as Terengganu cherry, sundrop, Eugenia florida, dragon fruit, abiyu, purple forest guava, baraba, Medusa pineapple, jaboticaba, red Syrian cherry, ber apple red, and miracle fruit in their courtyard and terrace.
Ashal acquires the saplings from a nursery near Perumbavoor, importing them from different places. His passion for farming has garnered attention, with several people expressing interest in obtaining saplings now that the fruits are flourishing. Ashal’s commitment to cultivating exotic fruits reflects his dedication to exploring and sharing the wonders of nature.