Engineer Turned Farmer Puts Palakkad Avocados on the Map

Mahendran Ravishankar is a mechanical engineer from Palakkad who has made a mark as an innovative avocado farmer in the Vandithavalam region. He left his job in the private sector to pursue farming and started growing avocados as an intercrop within his six-acre coconut farm, located near Raman Panai at Meenakshipuram, bordering the Perumatti Krishibhavan area. Around three years ago, Mahendran brought Arka Supreme and Arka Ravi avocado varieties from the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Bengaluru, and planted about 100 saplings on an experimental basis. These saplings, grown organically amid the coconut trees, are now bearing fruit. Mahendran was able to harvest his first avocados within three years, and he aims to initiate commercial-scale production within five years.

His motivation for choosing avocado was based on the fruit’s high nutritional value and its limited local availability. Within just three years, his avocado plants began bearing fruit a milestone that typically takes considerable time under tropical conditions. Mahendran now looks forward to scaling up production for commercial markets both local and international, aiming to make Palakkad-grown avocados widely available. Alongside avocados, he also grows coconut, palm, pepper, nutmeg, teak, and lemon on his farm. Mahendran emphasizes organic farming practices, including maintaining a small unit to produce organic manure. He’s also actively involved in government agricultural programs like SHM, BPKP, and CHM through the local Krishibhavan, highlighting his commitment to scientific agriculture and sustainable development.

Mahendran’s journey demonstrates how passion and innovative thinking can transform both personal careers and local agriculture, bringing previously foreign crops like avocado to Kerala’s soil and market.

Read more at: https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2025/07/25/mahendran-ravishankar-mechanical-engineer-avocado-farmer.html