Lease land farming which is legally banned in most of the Indian states, is gaining importance though in a concealed manner. However, the uncertainty over the productivity and sustainability aspects of lease farm cultivation is limiting its expansion. Under the background of conflicting reports, a study was conducted to assess the farm efficiency and management differences between owner operated and leasedin farms, focusing on a commercial fruit crop (pineapple) in a region where ecological awareness is high (Kerala). The study revealed that the lessees used more of chemical inputs like fertilisers, pesticides, weedicides and insecticides intensively keeping a short term profit motive whereas own farm cultivators depended heavily on organic inputs, with a long term sustainability perspective. On employing the discriminant analysis to find out the major factors that discriminate the groups, it was revealed that age, occupation, farming experience, total operational holdings, organic input cost, fertiliser cost and labour cost as the major factors. Despite the threat to sustainable ecosystem health, the yield from leased in farms was found to be almost 20 per cent more than that from their own farms. It was reflected in the returns as well. In this account, it is imperative to promote lease land farming under strict monitoring on the management practices.