Farm Updates and Hurricane Maria
Exotic Fruit Farm Updates
The wide range of exotic fruits we produce reflects the varying rainfall distribution, temperatures, humidity and on occasion, wind. As a result of this annual variation, harvest times and quantities can vary wildly. Please check with us before coming to ensure there is product available.
What We Grow
Panoramic Fruit Company grows commercial quantities of rambutan, mangosteen, longan, pulasan, durian, abiu and achachairu. Mangosteens load up the trees every summer and are one of the best-tasting fruits you will ever eat. Meanwhile, rambutans are our largest crop by tonnage and are harvested anywhere from the end of June to the end of August. Our farm also produces in smaller quantities of other exotic fruit you may have never heard of much less eaten before.
Achachairu
Achachairu is new to the market, but has become a hit among consumers. Closely related to the mangosteen, it has a sweet, sour, and spicy taste and an easy-to-open rind. The season for these is suring the summer but offseason fruit is a possibility
Durian
Unique in many ways, the durian is a spiky fruit ranging in size from 4 to 20 pounds. It features a rich custardy texture and a heavily sweet and fruity aroma with hints of pineapple and onion that some love and others do not. The supply is limited and slowly increasing to meet demand
Longan
Related to canepa, longan arrives later than most of our harvest, usually appearing in September. This exotic fruit has a unique, nutty, and sweet flavor. I produce many tons of longan and it is ripe later than most of the fruit on my farm
The Devastation of Hurricane Maria
On September 20, 2017, things became life-threatening for millions of people in Puerto Rico when Hurricane Maria hit, endangering their lives, homes and their livelihoods. Thousands died. Puerto Ricans could not have predicted the timing of such a major hurricane but the people always knew it was a possibility. On that day, much of Puerto Rico was raked by devastating winds of over 140 mph at sea level, with much higher wind speeds in the mountains and rainfall measured in feet.
Very little of the island was spared. Sadly, our farm of 26 years and its exotic fruit trees were also affected. That said, all of our people survived and their homes largely escaped the worst of the hurricane although one person lost his roof (it was repaired as soon as possible).
Aftermath and Recovery
In the weeks and months that followed Hurricane Maria, the cleanup, reconstruction and power restoration highlighted Puerto Rico’s already strained infrastructure. FEMA only replaces or repairs, it does not upgrade. Blocked roads, fuel shortages, and a lack of food in stores or access to medicine had everyone scrambling. Potable water became scarce, forcing people to take risks just to meet basic needs. Often, people were forced to drink what they could find, gambling that their collected water was safe.
The Impact of Hurricane Maria on Panoramic Fruit Company
Farming in the tropics, like Puerto Rico, offers exceptional growing conditions and productivity for exotic tropical fruit trees. However, you and your farm will also have to contend with the possibility of being hit by powerful winds that could set back your decades of work in just a few hours. That is why farming in the tropics is not something one does because it is easy. Farming is an outdoor casino.
When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, our farm full of exotic fruit trees was also affected by its powerful winds. We lost about half of the trees producing fruit on the farm in 24 hours. High percentages of our exotic fruit trees, such as rambutan, durian, and mangosteen, were either blown over or blown away without a trace. Some of the trees blown over might have been saved if we could have righted them immediately, but the farm was not accessible for weeks after the hurricane.
The people working for me had one objective: to take care of their own needs first. That is how it should be. And since the farm is blessed with a very old cistern that has been providing potable water for a very long time, that water source became a critical resource for many. Any and all who could get to this cistern were welcomed to collect and carry away as much water as possible, as we believe that water should be shared, it belongs to everyone.
A Message from a Tropical Farmer
I went on-site to my farm in Puerto Rico in December of 2017 to assess whether I should continue my operations and decided there was enough still remaining to make this work. For example, most of the mangosteen trees survived and looked great. In contrast, other trees like the rambutan were ravaged. But beside the trees, I have always benefited from Puerto Rico’s best resource- the people. If you do not have the best people to run a farm, you do not have a farm for long.
When I first went to Puerto Rico, I initially planned to grow coffee, but became more interested in tropical rare fruits and commercializing them. That was 1994. Now there are over 55 acres of exotic fruit trees and much of this is thriving after Hurricane Maria rolled over the island in 2017. And I continue to plant more trees.
The exodus away from Puerto Rico was already underway well before Hurricane Maria but now, post pandemic, many have returned. Between a huge debt burden and infrastructure needs, the government alone cannot fix something this pervasive with high sales taxes (10.5% plus 1% for each municipality) and requires huge capital inflows to get Puerto Rico back on a constructive track. Apart from servicing the debt, the government needs massive infusions just to avoid further degradation, loss of life, and loss of a way of living. A solid first step would be to end the Jones Act as it pertains to shipping to Puerto Rican ports. It no longer serves a greater good and is more protectionist than constructive. I would add that since long before and after Hurricane Maria, my crew regularly loses electricity and water to this day, often without any advance notice or subsequent explanation. The island infrastructure is a mess, brown-outs continue and the people suffer from food loss, health issues, medical service limitations and so on. Does this basic level of service ever improve?
There is undeniable climate change and assigning blame seems a waste of time if used to justify inaction. Hurricane winds over 165 mph or water lapping at the top of your house are just as lethal and destructive to believers as disbelievers whether you think there is climate change or not.
What's Coming
Our farm boasts over 30 species and varieties of exotic fruits and nuts. Many of these exotic fruit trees will take a few more years before they first appear, and their initial yields will be small for some time. Some exotic fruit tree species were simply blown off the farm by Hurricane Maria and may not be replanted again. However, some possible new fruits we can offer in the future include kwai muk, pedalai, marang, chempedak, and tampoi.
Upcoming harvests will include a very wide range of fruits. Check back as we head into summer.
To the right is a video of the damage caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017. We are no longer accepting any donations towards the GoFundMe site. In addition, I no longer supply Whole Foods, an excellent company and a very patient customer for years of varying harvests of mangosteens!
Exotic Fruit Farm Update: Crop Report for the Upcoming Harvest Season
The 2026 harvest will probably be smaller than 2025- it’s the “off” year. Supplies may be limited due to this phenomenon. There will be mangosteens, rambutan, durian, pulasan, abiu, achachairu, jackfruit and many other rare species and varieties.
Wholesale Order Opportunities Open
We welcome wholesale order inquiries. Please note that our farm does not sell retail, so kindly refrain from asking about retail sales. I am interested in offering very limited paid farm tours through a tour operator but they are limited to when I am in Puerto Rico. Groups interested in a tour during the harvest season should contact us. No walk-ins!