Mangosteen bears fruits in a
biennial cycle and even with minimal or no input, a mangosteen tree can
produce 500 to 800 fruits during an ‘in year’ and 100 fruits during an ‘offyear’.
However, when provided with a high amount of fertilizer and adequate
pruning and irrigation, a tree can bear fruit twice a year and annual fruit yield
can be as much as 2,000-3,000 fruits per tree. Mangosteen pulp contains high
amounts of energy and vitamins and minerals including calcium, phosphorus,
iron, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and ascorbic acid. Thus, it can greatly
improve food quality of low-income rural households especially children.
Aside from being a source of fresh and processed food, mangosteen has
other important uses. It is a good source of cash through sale of fruits and other value added products. Moreover,
because of its beautiful crown, mangosteen is an excellent landscape material. Mangosteen does not have any major pests
or diseases and it can be grown in a wide variety of soil types provided water is available.