Rajendra Fulaware, a teacher and passionate farmer, has spent five years cultivating a 3.5-acre farm with his wife, Sanjeevani, blending their academic backgrounds with a deep commitment to agricultural innovation
Rajendra and his family at the farm, which they visit every other day; Rajendra Kamlu Fulaware, next to the Miyazaki mango tree on his farm. PICS/SHRIKANT KHUPERKAR
In Barne village of Karjat taluka, a humble schoolteacher has become the talk of the region — and perhaps will be soon of the entire state — for his remarkable transformation from an educator to a progressive farmer cultivating rare and exotic fruits, including the world-famous Miyazaki mango from Japan.
Rajendra Kamlu Fulaware, 40, a district school teacher by profession and a farmer by passion, has been nurturing a 3 to 3.5-acre farm for the past five years with his wife, Sanjeevani, who is also a teacher. Despite their academic backgrounds — Rajendra is a BA, DEd graduate, and his wife holds an MA, DEd — they are deeply rooted in the agricultural tradition and committed to innovation in farming.
From five to a hundred
Among the many rare fruits cultivated on his farm, the highlight this season has been the Miyazaki mango, famously priced at around Rs 2.5 lakh per kilogram in Japan. Last year, Fulaware’s Miyazaki tree produced just five mangoes. But this year, the same tree yielded nearly 100 fruits.
Rajendra and his family at the farm, which they visit every other day
However, to ensure quality growth, he retained only 12 mangoes on the tree, carefully pruning the rest to encourage optimal development. “A trader at APMC Market, Vashi, bought this mango at Rs 10,000 per kilo and has promised to export next year’s produce to Japan,” said Fulaware.
Currently, Fulaware has 21 Miyazaki mango saplings, out of which 14 have already been sold to other interested farmers, and he has retained seven trees for his own cultivation. These trees begin their active growth phase around September–October.
One tree, five mango variants
Fulaware has successfully grafted five different mango varieties onto a single tree: Thaikatimon, Super Katimon, Banana Mango, Tom Mango, and the Indian classic Dasheri. “Each of them has a different fragrance and taste,” Fulaware said.
Rare fruits galore
His ambition doesn’t stop at mangoes. Fulaware’s farm is a living orchard of rare and high-yield fruit trees sourced from across the globe:
A cut-open Miyazaki mango
Sri Lankan Coconut (Columbus variety): Produces 1000–1200 coconuts annually, compared to just 200–250 from regular varieties.
Thai Jackfruit: Bears fruit all year round, along with seasonal yields from the Vanrai variety. Guava Four different types planted, with round-the-year fruiting.
Jamun (Java Plum): Seven varieties including Bahadoli, White Jamun, Thai, KG-10, King, and Thai King. Fig (Anjeer): Productive even during the monsoon season.
Apples: Red Kashmiri Apple Ber and Thai Apple Ber start fruiting within a year and give seasonal harvests.
Roses: A single plant bears five different colored blooms — perfect for natural bouquets.
Green & Red Amaranth (Lal Bhaji): Cultivated year-round for household use.
Experiments in innovation
Fulaware is also conducting trials on climate-compatible vegetable varieties that yield higher returns. His ongoing experiments focus on developing seed variants that thrive in Karjat’s specific environment. Film industry celebrities with farmhouses in nearby areas have visited Fulaware’s plot and even expressed interest in buying the entire farm. But Rajendra politely refused. “I told them I am not interested in selling. I want to continue farming and inspire other farmers to think beyond traditional crops,” he says.
Beyond fruits
Rajendra has built a small fish pond and shares free rare plant seeds with local farmers. “Farmers work hard but often earn little,” he says. Inspired by YouTube and Google, he began exploring rare fruits and transformed his farm. His wife, Sanjeevani, helps manage it, especially when he’s away. They visit the farm every other day and stay on weekends. To support their children’s education, they bought a flat in Karjat and installed CCTV. He hopes to inspire others with high-value crops.
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