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Forgotten Kalpavriksha
Shree Padre
Nati
onal Jackfr
uit
Fest
Forgotten Kalpavriksha
Shree Padre
Nati
onal Jackfr
uit
Fest
Forgotten Kalpavriksha
Shree Padre
Nati
onal Jackfr
uit
Fest
Forgotten Kalpavriksha
Forgotten KalpavrikshaBooklet Compiled byShree PadreEditor, Adike PatrikePuttur - 574 201Karnataka
Published byNational Jackfruit FestCo-ordination Office:Santhigram, Kazhuvur P.O; Pulluvila-695 526,Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, S. IndiaPhone: 0471-2269780, 6452511, 2722151 E.mail: Web : www.jackfruitfest.org.
he jackfruit (Artocarpus Theterophyllus or
A. heterophylla) is a species of tree in the Artocarpus
genus of the family Moraceae. It is native to parts of Southern and
Southeast Asia. The name "Jack fruit" is derived from the Portuguese Jaca, which in turn, is derived from the Malayalam language term, Chakka. The fruit is popularly known as ,Kathal, or 'kata-hal' in Bengali and in Hindi. The Malayalam name 'Chakka' was recorded by Hendrik van Rheede (1678–1703) in the Hortus Malabaricus, vol. iii in Latin. Henry Yule translated the book in Jordanus Catalani's (1678–1703) Mirabilia Descripta: The Wonders of the East. The fruit is called a variety of names around the world, such as "Mít" in Vietnamese. The common English name jackfruit is a name used by the physician and naturalist Garcia de Orta in his 1563 book Colóquios dos simples e drogas da India.
Scientific classification Kingdom Plantae Division Magnoliophyta
Class Magnoliopsida Order Rosales Family Moraceae Tribe Artocarpeae Genus Artocarpus Species Artocarpus heterophyllus
Forgotten Kalpavriksha
Forgotten KalpavrikshaBooklet Compiled byShree PadreEditor, Adike PatrikePuttur - 574 201Karnataka
Published byNational Jackfruit FestCo-ordination Office:Santhigram, Kazhuvur P.O; Pulluvila-695 526,Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, S. IndiaPhone: 0471-2269780, 6452511, 2722151 E.mail: Web : www.jackfruitfest.org.
he jackfruit (Artocarpus Theterophyllus or
A. heterophylla) is a species of tree in the Artocarpus
genus of the family Moraceae. It is native to parts of Southern and
Southeast Asia. The name "Jack fruit" is derived from the Portuguese Jaca, which in turn, is derived from the Malayalam language term, Chakka. The fruit is popularly known as ,Kathal, or 'kata-hal' in Bengali and in Hindi. The Malayalam name 'Chakka' was recorded by Hendrik van Rheede (1678–1703) in the Hortus Malabaricus, vol. iii in Latin. Henry Yule translated the book in Jordanus Catalani's (1678–1703) Mirabilia Descripta: The Wonders of the East. The fruit is called a variety of names around the world, such as "Mít" in Vietnamese. The common English name jackfruit is a name used by the physician and naturalist Garcia de Orta in his 1563 book Colóquios dos simples e drogas da India.
Scientific classification Kingdom Plantae Division Magnoliophyta
Class Magnoliopsida Order Rosales Family Moraceae Tribe Artocarpeae Genus Artocarpus Species Artocarpus heterophyllus
Forgotten Kalpavriksha
The world's largest fruit has many names – kathal, panasa, jaca, nangka, kanoon, mít or Artocarpus heterophyllus, its scientific name. India is considered as the motherland of Jackfruit. 'Chakka', its Malayalam name, according to some, has given birth to the English name jackfruit. India is second biggest producer of the fruit in the world.
How much jackfruits we waste? Nobody knows for sure. Some say 75 per cent. Kerala wastes around 35 crore jackfruits annually. If you Google, you won't get state-wise area and production figures for jackfruit. When nobody knows how much is produced, how will we gauge how much is wasted? Still, assuming one jackfruit costs Rs 3 and the national wastage is 50 per cent, India is losing Rs 214.4 crore worth of food every year. In Mysore, Bangalore and Mumbai, you might have to pay Rs 100 for a single jackfruit. But in Ratnagiri or Kerala, it costs next to nothing. In Kerala, farmers used to hang a board on their jackfruit tree saying, “Anybody can pluck jackfruit from this tree.”
Medicinal Values
This fruit is rich in B-complex vitamins, also vitamins C. Jackfruit contains the minerals, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, thiamin, niacin, and sulfur. Jackfruit is high in calories, with around 80-100 per average size fruit. Most of the calories are in the seeds. Studies have shown this fruit to contain numerous antioxidant rich flavonoids, such as Artocarpanone and Artocarpus, which inhibit the grow of melanin and melanoma cells in human skin. Another study demonstrated that jackfruit's yellow pulp is a good source of provitamin A, carotenoids, although not as good as papaya. The flavonoids in jackfruit are anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-tumor. Jackfruit could also help to control diabetes. Indeed, it has a higher hypoglycemic effect than some antidiabetic drugs.
Marketing Problems
Organised direct marketing has always been difficult. Jackfruit is not cultivated as a monocrop. It is planted in homesteads, as windbreakers or shade trees in a scattered way. Panruti taluk in Tamilnadu is the only exception for this. The peak crop season is the monsoon. Harvesting and transporting fruits from different trees where roads don't exist is difficult. Then, fruits on a tree don't mature simultaneously. Selective harvesting makes it more complex. For an individual farmer, carting a few jackfruits to a distant city is not practical.
The biggest problem jackfruit growers' face is lack of a supply chain and processing facilities. In villages there is a shortage of labour. There is hardly anyone willing to pluck jackfruit, deseed and collect the flakes. Even if that is done, no one bothers to transport the produce to the city. Further
processing is no problem at all.
In India mango is the king of fruits. In Southeast Asia it is Durian. Others argue that mangosteen is the king. In Hawaii, Ohelo berry and poha are considered kings” If all these are kings, then jackfruit is the kingmaker.”
Key for Food Security “Jackfruit is the real Kalpavriksh. It can fulfill the hunger of an entire family. Imagine a Jackfruit (JF) tree in your homestead garden. It gives shade. Keeps your micro climate cool. Sheds bagful of dry leaves for you to mulch your vegetable and flower plants. Green leaves and roots are used as medicine. Goats relish these leaves. The tree remains for centuries and offers very valuable timber when grown. Jack timber, very expensive and durable, is used in making furniture and musical instruments etc.
If the timber is its owner's fixed deposit, think of the rate of interest it 'pays' every year without any gap. Even if we don't irrigate, don't put any manure, even in years of less rainfall, it doesn't fail the owner. You get anything from one quintal to a ton of food crop from the tree.
Apart from its nutritive and medicinal properties, you won't get a parallel to this fruit in versatility. It has about four levels of maturity, the tender, slightly grown, unripe and ripe. If earlier three stages can be used as a vegetable, the last one has many value addition possibilities like desserts, squash, pulp etc. Tender Jackfruit is a very tasty vegetable. Our grandmas have mastered the art of making variety of curries from 'Chakka thoran' (Jackfruit stir fry) to 'puzukku' and even dosa. Fruit can be eaten fresh. 'Chakka Varatty' made from fruit is a raw material for many more deserts.
Forgotten Kalpavriksha
The world's largest fruit has many names – kathal, panasa, jaca, nangka, kanoon, mít or Artocarpus heterophyllus, its scientific name. India is considered as the motherland of Jackfruit. 'Chakka', its Malayalam name, according to some, has given birth to the English name jackfruit. India is second biggest producer of the fruit in the world.
How much jackfruits we waste? Nobody knows for sure. Some say 75 per cent. Kerala wastes around 35 crore jackfruits annually. If you Google, you won't get state-wise area and production figures for jackfruit. When nobody knows how much is produced, how will we gauge how much is wasted? Still, assuming one jackfruit costs Rs 3 and the national wastage is 50 per cent, India is losing Rs 214.4 crore worth of food every year. In Mysore, Bangalore and Mumbai, you might have to pay Rs 100 for a single jackfruit. But in Ratnagiri or Kerala, it costs next to nothing. In Kerala, farmers used to hang a board on their jackfruit tree saying, “Anybody can pluck jackfruit from this tree.”
Medicinal Values
This fruit is rich in B-complex vitamins, also vitamins C. Jackfruit contains the minerals, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, thiamin, niacin, and sulfur. Jackfruit is high in calories, with around 80-100 per average size fruit. Most of the calories are in the seeds. Studies have shown this fruit to contain numerous antioxidant rich flavonoids, such as Artocarpanone and Artocarpus, which inhibit the grow of melanin and melanoma cells in human skin. Another study demonstrated that jackfruit's yellow pulp is a good source of provitamin A, carotenoids, although not as good as papaya. The flavonoids in jackfruit are anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-tumor. Jackfruit could also help to control diabetes. Indeed, it has a higher hypoglycemic effect than some antidiabetic drugs.
Marketing Problems
Organised direct marketing has always been difficult. Jackfruit is not cultivated as a monocrop. It is planted in homesteads, as windbreakers or shade trees in a scattered way. Panruti taluk in Tamilnadu is the only exception for this. The peak crop season is the monsoon. Harvesting and transporting fruits from different trees where roads don't exist is difficult. Then, fruits on a tree don't mature simultaneously. Selective harvesting makes it more complex. For an individual farmer, carting a few jackfruits to a distant city is not practical.
The biggest problem jackfruit growers' face is lack of a supply chain and processing facilities. In villages there is a shortage of labour. There is hardly anyone willing to pluck jackfruit, deseed and collect the flakes. Even if that is done, no one bothers to transport the produce to the city. Further
processing is no problem at all.
In India mango is the king of fruits. In Southeast Asia it is Durian. Others argue that mangosteen is the king. In Hawaii, Ohelo berry and poha are considered kings” If all these are kings, then jackfruit is the kingmaker.”
Key for Food Security “Jackfruit is the real Kalpavriksh. It can fulfill the hunger of an entire family. Imagine a Jackfruit (JF) tree in your homestead garden. It gives shade. Keeps your micro climate cool. Sheds bagful of dry leaves for you to mulch your vegetable and flower plants. Green leaves and roots are used as medicine. Goats relish these leaves. The tree remains for centuries and offers very valuable timber when grown. Jack timber, very expensive and durable, is used in making furniture and musical instruments etc.
If the timber is its owner's fixed deposit, think of the rate of interest it 'pays' every year without any gap. Even if we don't irrigate, don't put any manure, even in years of less rainfall, it doesn't fail the owner. You get anything from one quintal to a ton of food crop from the tree.
Apart from its nutritive and medicinal properties, you won't get a parallel to this fruit in versatility. It has about four levels of maturity, the tender, slightly grown, unripe and ripe. If earlier three stages can be used as a vegetable, the last one has many value addition possibilities like desserts, squash, pulp etc. Tender Jackfruit is a very tasty vegetable. Our grandmas have mastered the art of making variety of curries from 'Chakka thoran' (Jackfruit stir fry) to 'puzukku' and even dosa. Fruit can be eaten fresh. 'Chakka Varatty' made from fruit is a raw material for many more deserts.
Forgotten Kalpavriksha
Thousands of value added products can be made from this and jack seed flour will be a popular commercial product in the next decade.
Jackfruit is the biggest organically grown fruit. It dons various roles starting from a vegetable to a table fruit, raw material for desserts and a number two staple that can be preserved in households for year round use. No doubt, it is forgotten Kalpavriksh of India.
Panruti, the 'Jackfruit Paradise'
Panruti, the lesser known 'Jackfruit Paradise' of India is a showcase of the real production capacity of this wonderful tree. It has many unique features in Jackfruit farming.
· It is only at Panruti one can see hundreds of pure Jackfruit orchards – monoculture plantations – ranging from one acre to twenty.· Jackfruit is available here round the year.· Considerable numbers of farmers irrigate and manure regularly.'· Thinning' – a very interesting agronomic practice – can be compared to family planning - is followed here by all farmers. It ensures bigger fruits with good fill and better taste. Insect menace is less. Natural weak fruits are cut off.· Panruti produces what may be the biggest jackfruits of the world – though so far claims to Guinness Book of Records have not been made for this title. One jackfruit recently harvested weighed a whopping 81 kgs.
Useful Practice of Thinning
A simple technique called thinning produces bigger fruits. At a tender stage, excessive fruits are cut off allowing only selected ones to grow. The formula followed is to retain two fruits per age of the tree. Consequently, only average sized and big fruits flow into the market. You won't see fruits smaller than 15 kg in the market.
After thinning, farmers get between Rs 50 to Rs 75 for each fruit sold to middlemen. This price doubles in the market. By the time the fruit reaches metro cities, its price increases four-fold. A few farmers send fruits as 'part load' on lorries to Chennai's wholesale market. They get double the Panruti rate, but have to cough up a fat 15 per cent commission.
Which other crop can ensure a farmer a steady income of Rs 60,000 per acre? It is drought-resistant, evergreen and helps in groundwater recharge. It requires hardly any labour. Its leaves are food for goats. If properly used, jackfruit provides food in various forms for the grower's family and enough
to sell in the market. Beyond 30 years, the timber is ready for sale any time. At this stage, the farmer can easily earn Rs 10,000 per tree.
World Leader in JF Fruit Chips
Countries like Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and even our neighboring Sri Lanka have gone far ahead in better utilization and farming of jackfruit.
Vietnam is the world leader in jackfruit products. It has 20 units that make chips. Among them Vinamit Trading Corporation is the biggest. In Vietnamese, mit means jackfruit. This 20-year old company does fruit processing, produces fruit chips and is a giant in that field. Jackfruit is main among all the fruits that it value adds. Vinamit is perhaps the world leader in Jack fruit value addition. It exports jackfruit chips to countries like the US, Japan, Germany, Russia and China.
“For big landowners in Vietnam growing rubber is profitable. But for small farmers, jackfruit fetches them more money than rubber,” says Nguyen Lam Vien, CEO of Vinamit. “Profit from jackfruit is about $ 8,000 to $12,000 per hectare per year.” The company has jackfruit orchards in about 10,000 hectares. It has entered into an eight year purchase contract with farmers. As a result, 300 new jackfruit orchards from five hectares to 100 hectares have been developed.
Nguyen Lam Vien built his company from scratch through sheer hard work. When all the Taiwanese business people he contacted refused to buy his fruit chips, he sat on the footpath and offered samples to all and sundry. In China's crowded passenger trains, he followed the same strategy.
Forgotten Kalpavriksha
Thousands of value added products can be made from this and jack seed flour will be a popular commercial product in the next decade.
Jackfruit is the biggest organically grown fruit. It dons various roles starting from a vegetable to a table fruit, raw material for desserts and a number two staple that can be preserved in households for year round use. No doubt, it is forgotten Kalpavriksh of India.
Panruti, the 'Jackfruit Paradise'
Panruti, the lesser known 'Jackfruit Paradise' of India is a showcase of the real production capacity of this wonderful tree. It has many unique features in Jackfruit farming.
· It is only at Panruti one can see hundreds of pure Jackfruit orchards – monoculture plantations – ranging from one acre to twenty.· Jackfruit is available here round the year.· Considerable numbers of farmers irrigate and manure regularly.'· Thinning' – a very interesting agronomic practice – can be compared to family planning - is followed here by all farmers. It ensures bigger fruits with good fill and better taste. Insect menace is less. Natural weak fruits are cut off.· Panruti produces what may be the biggest jackfruits of the world – though so far claims to Guinness Book of Records have not been made for this title. One jackfruit recently harvested weighed a whopping 81 kgs.
Useful Practice of Thinning
A simple technique called thinning produces bigger fruits. At a tender stage, excessive fruits are cut off allowing only selected ones to grow. The formula followed is to retain two fruits per age of the tree. Consequently, only average sized and big fruits flow into the market. You won't see fruits smaller than 15 kg in the market.
After thinning, farmers get between Rs 50 to Rs 75 for each fruit sold to middlemen. This price doubles in the market. By the time the fruit reaches metro cities, its price increases four-fold. A few farmers send fruits as 'part load' on lorries to Chennai's wholesale market. They get double the Panruti rate, but have to cough up a fat 15 per cent commission.
Which other crop can ensure a farmer a steady income of Rs 60,000 per acre? It is drought-resistant, evergreen and helps in groundwater recharge. It requires hardly any labour. Its leaves are food for goats. If properly used, jackfruit provides food in various forms for the grower's family and enough
to sell in the market. Beyond 30 years, the timber is ready for sale any time. At this stage, the farmer can easily earn Rs 10,000 per tree.
World Leader in JF Fruit Chips
Countries like Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and even our neighboring Sri Lanka have gone far ahead in better utilization and farming of jackfruit.
Vietnam is the world leader in jackfruit products. It has 20 units that make chips. Among them Vinamit Trading Corporation is the biggest. In Vietnamese, mit means jackfruit. This 20-year old company does fruit processing, produces fruit chips and is a giant in that field. Jackfruit is main among all the fruits that it value adds. Vinamit is perhaps the world leader in Jack fruit value addition. It exports jackfruit chips to countries like the US, Japan, Germany, Russia and China.
“For big landowners in Vietnam growing rubber is profitable. But for small farmers, jackfruit fetches them more money than rubber,” says Nguyen Lam Vien, CEO of Vinamit. “Profit from jackfruit is about $ 8,000 to $12,000 per hectare per year.” The company has jackfruit orchards in about 10,000 hectares. It has entered into an eight year purchase contract with farmers. As a result, 300 new jackfruit orchards from five hectares to 100 hectares have been developed.
Nguyen Lam Vien built his company from scratch through sheer hard work. When all the Taiwanese business people he contacted refused to buy his fruit chips, he sat on the footpath and offered samples to all and sundry. In China's crowded passenger trains, he followed the same strategy.
Forgotten Kalpavriksha
Malaysia – Forging Ahead in Fresh Fruit Marketing
Jackfruit is available round the year in Malaysia. In recent years, among other local fruits, Malaysia has given top priority for the development of Jackfruit. It is included in its National Agriculture policy.
Jackfruit plays an important role in the country's economy. Extensive planting is done for local and export markets. FAMA, Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority, a marketing agency established by the Government under the Ministry of Agriculture is offering good marketing infrastructure and support to farmers. MARDI, Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute has developed Minimal Processing technology that has opened new doors for its fresh fruit exports.
Minimally processed jackfruit can be kept for 3 weeks at 2°C, 1 week at 10°C and 2 days at 25°C. The achievable storage life provides sufficient marketing planning for distribution both for local and export markets.
Today, three Malaysian companies are using the technologies for commercial handling of minimally processed jackfruit for export markets. Minimal Processed fruits are exported to Europe, Middle East and Singapore, UK, Thailand etc. The technology has a potential for export not only by air but also by sea shipments to markets such as Hong Kong, China and Taiwan as traveling time is only between 5-7 days.
Malaysia's per-capita consumption of jackfruit fruit is expected to increase from 0.8 kg/person /yr in 2000 to 1.0 kg in 2010. Production area of jackfruit is expected to increase from 6,000 hectares in 2000 to 55,000 hectares in 2010.
Sri Lanka will Never Starve
Jackfruit is a part and parcel of Sri Lankan life for centuries. It is known as 'Bath gasa' or Rice tree in Sinhala language.
Mature fruit is boiled and eaten with coconut. This is almost a staple food among most rural people. It is cheapest as well. Jack curry occupies a prominent place even in weddings. 'Kos Mama's campaign succeeded in making Srilankans aware about the importance of JF in local food security.
In recent decades, Sri Lanka has gone far ahead in the value addition of Jackfruit. Rural Enterprises Network, a voluntary organization is producing about ten tonnes of unripe JF flakes. This apart from being sold locally is being exported to even countries like Europe. Preserving in brine is also followed commercially on large scale. Polos (tender Jackfruit) in brine, Jack seeds in brine are some of the commercial products. Sri Lanka has at least a dozen companies that among other products produce value additions of Jackfruit for export. Ready to Eat Polos Curry in tin/bottles is a very popular product that is exported to several countries like Australia, California and US etc.
In Sri Lanka, you can find minimally processed form in many urban areas. Since JF value additions of Sri Lanka are low-tech and has given more emphasis in using it as a vegetable, it is more doable and ideal for India.
Untapped Potential
Unfortunately, we in India have taken the potential of this Kalpavruksha, Jackfruit – for granted. More than half of the fruits go waste without even harvesting. Once it ripens, the soft fleshed type – koozhachakka has practically no takers at all.
Though we are growing a huge amount of jackfruit, efforts to commercialize the same is next to nothing. How many branded jackfruit products we have? Only around a dozen. Even these products never cross the boundaries of the producing state. To name a few: Kerala has three brands of Jack Varatty – Saj, Saras and Double Horse. Amar brand of tinned tender jackfruit from Maharashtra is the only product of that kind. So is vacuum fried fruit chips produced by Gokul fruits of Karnataka. The only modified atmosphere packed jackfruit chips come out of Aditya agro foods of Lucknow. Mayoora brand jackfruit papad from Kadamba marketing co-operative of Sirsi and Chirag brand of papads from Shivapura, Karnataka are two branded papads in the country. Jackfruit jam from Grandmas, pickle from some north-eastern states, fruit papad, burfi etc from Yojak Associates of Ratnagiri are
Forgotten Kalpavriksha
Malaysia – Forging Ahead in Fresh Fruit Marketing
Jackfruit is available round the year in Malaysia. In recent years, among other local fruits, Malaysia has given top priority for the development of Jackfruit. It is included in its National Agriculture policy.
Jackfruit plays an important role in the country's economy. Extensive planting is done for local and export markets. FAMA, Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority, a marketing agency established by the Government under the Ministry of Agriculture is offering good marketing infrastructure and support to farmers. MARDI, Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute has developed Minimal Processing technology that has opened new doors for its fresh fruit exports.
Minimally processed jackfruit can be kept for 3 weeks at 2°C, 1 week at 10°C and 2 days at 25°C. The achievable storage life provides sufficient marketing planning for distribution both for local and export markets.
Today, three Malaysian companies are using the technologies for commercial handling of minimally processed jackfruit for export markets. Minimal Processed fruits are exported to Europe, Middle East and Singapore, UK, Thailand etc. The technology has a potential for export not only by air but also by sea shipments to markets such as Hong Kong, China and Taiwan as traveling time is only between 5-7 days.
Malaysia's per-capita consumption of jackfruit fruit is expected to increase from 0.8 kg/person /yr in 2000 to 1.0 kg in 2010. Production area of jackfruit is expected to increase from 6,000 hectares in 2000 to 55,000 hectares in 2010.
Sri Lanka will Never Starve
Jackfruit is a part and parcel of Sri Lankan life for centuries. It is known as 'Bath gasa' or Rice tree in Sinhala language.
Mature fruit is boiled and eaten with coconut. This is almost a staple food among most rural people. It is cheapest as well. Jack curry occupies a prominent place even in weddings. 'Kos Mama's campaign succeeded in making Srilankans aware about the importance of JF in local food security.
In recent decades, Sri Lanka has gone far ahead in the value addition of Jackfruit. Rural Enterprises Network, a voluntary organization is producing about ten tonnes of unripe JF flakes. This apart from being sold locally is being exported to even countries like Europe. Preserving in brine is also followed commercially on large scale. Polos (tender Jackfruit) in brine, Jack seeds in brine are some of the commercial products. Sri Lanka has at least a dozen companies that among other products produce value additions of Jackfruit for export. Ready to Eat Polos Curry in tin/bottles is a very popular product that is exported to several countries like Australia, California and US etc.
In Sri Lanka, you can find minimally processed form in many urban areas. Since JF value additions of Sri Lanka are low-tech and has given more emphasis in using it as a vegetable, it is more doable and ideal for India.
Untapped Potential
Unfortunately, we in India have taken the potential of this Kalpavruksha, Jackfruit – for granted. More than half of the fruits go waste without even harvesting. Once it ripens, the soft fleshed type – koozhachakka has practically no takers at all.
Though we are growing a huge amount of jackfruit, efforts to commercialize the same is next to nothing. How many branded jackfruit products we have? Only around a dozen. Even these products never cross the boundaries of the producing state. To name a few: Kerala has three brands of Jack Varatty – Saj, Saras and Double Horse. Amar brand of tinned tender jackfruit from Maharashtra is the only product of that kind. So is vacuum fried fruit chips produced by Gokul fruits of Karnataka. The only modified atmosphere packed jackfruit chips come out of Aditya agro foods of Lucknow. Mayoora brand jackfruit papad from Kadamba marketing co-operative of Sirsi and Chirag brand of papads from Shivapura, Karnataka are two branded papads in the country. Jackfruit jam from Grandmas, pickle from some north-eastern states, fruit papad, burfi etc from Yojak Associates of Ratnagiri are
Forgotten Kalpavriksha
some other products worth mentioning. Parayil Food products of Kottayam is exporting a dozen of jackfruit products like tender jackfruit thoran (stir fry), Varatty etc.
We have a rich tradition and knowledge of using jackfruit of different growths for hundreds of food purposes. First of all, we have to shed our mental block or inferiority complex about this wonder fruit. Let us start using it at our homes, in weddings and even in social functions etc. We have to start a conscious 'Eat well – waste nil' attitude about JF. Let us introduce the fruit to our children, and sensitize them about the importance of a bountiful & nutritive fruit like Jackfruit.
From consumers' point of view, major constraint in utilizing jackfruit is the cumbersome process involved in cutting and scooping out the bulbs and making it ready. Another problem is its huge size. No family can finish it in a day.
RTC & RTE Packs for Cities
Making jackfruit in Ready to eat (RTE) and Ready to cook (RTC) forms is the only solution for these two problems. Making selected and branded fruit bulbs in take home packets is a good idea. Such efforts have begun in many super markets in the country. But it has to be still geared up.
The process of making the fruit ready to cook/eat is called as 'Minimal processing.' This in a small way has started in cities like Goa, Thiruvananthapuram etc even for unripe jackfruit to be used for vegetable. In Singapore, leading hyper markets do this in a very systematic and hygienic manner.
It is high time for agencies to come up to minimal process and supply jackfruit in ripe/unripe and tender forms to super and hyper markets. Some R & D is necessary to extend the shelf life of this highly perishable produce. Have more awareness programs and make available in urban areas in
minimally processed or processed form. Preservation techniques have to be standardized to make the seasonal fruit available round the year.
Off-Season Orchards
Another thrust area is identification and popularizing off season, twice bearing and early season bearers. Studies in Kerala and Karnataka have clearly shown that we have such genotypes in the respective states. Story is not different in Maharashtra or Tamil Nadu. All season and early season fruits will bring higher revenue for farmers.
It would be wise to develop jackfruit orchards with all season and off season bearers in low rainfall areas. Consider this marketing potential of Panruti jackfruits that is untapped till now. By arranging a steady supply chain through night-bus or trains, sourcing jackfruits from Panruti, super markets in Trivandrum, Kochi, Bangalore, Mysore, Coimbatore, Madurai, Chennai etc can sell fresh jackfruits in cling wrapped packets round the year.
One immediate step towards this goal is making conscious efforts to increase domestic consumption of jackfruit. 'Eat well, waste nil' should be our objective. With proper utilization of this local fruit in many ways, we can bid good-bye to vegetables and fruits that has to come from hundreds of kilometers away and most of them with pesticide residues.
If all of us join hands, we can ensure a deserving place for this fruit. Better utilization and stopping its wastage is the first step towards its development.
Forgotten Kalpavriksha
some other products worth mentioning. Parayil Food products of Kottayam is exporting a dozen of jackfruit products like tender jackfruit thoran (stir fry), Varatty etc.
We have a rich tradition and knowledge of using jackfruit of different growths for hundreds of food purposes. First of all, we have to shed our mental block or inferiority complex about this wonder fruit. Let us start using it at our homes, in weddings and even in social functions etc. We have to start a conscious 'Eat well – waste nil' attitude about JF. Let us introduce the fruit to our children, and sensitize them about the importance of a bountiful & nutritive fruit like Jackfruit.
From consumers' point of view, major constraint in utilizing jackfruit is the cumbersome process involved in cutting and scooping out the bulbs and making it ready. Another problem is its huge size. No family can finish it in a day.
RTC & RTE Packs for Cities
Making jackfruit in Ready to eat (RTE) and Ready to cook (RTC) forms is the only solution for these two problems. Making selected and branded fruit bulbs in take home packets is a good idea. Such efforts have begun in many super markets in the country. But it has to be still geared up.
The process of making the fruit ready to cook/eat is called as 'Minimal processing.' This in a small way has started in cities like Goa, Thiruvananthapuram etc even for unripe jackfruit to be used for vegetable. In Singapore, leading hyper markets do this in a very systematic and hygienic manner.
It is high time for agencies to come up to minimal process and supply jackfruit in ripe/unripe and tender forms to super and hyper markets. Some R & D is necessary to extend the shelf life of this highly perishable produce. Have more awareness programs and make available in urban areas in
minimally processed or processed form. Preservation techniques have to be standardized to make the seasonal fruit available round the year.
Off-Season Orchards
Another thrust area is identification and popularizing off season, twice bearing and early season bearers. Studies in Kerala and Karnataka have clearly shown that we have such genotypes in the respective states. Story is not different in Maharashtra or Tamil Nadu. All season and early season fruits will bring higher revenue for farmers.
It would be wise to develop jackfruit orchards with all season and off season bearers in low rainfall areas. Consider this marketing potential of Panruti jackfruits that is untapped till now. By arranging a steady supply chain through night-bus or trains, sourcing jackfruits from Panruti, super markets in Trivandrum, Kochi, Bangalore, Mysore, Coimbatore, Madurai, Chennai etc can sell fresh jackfruits in cling wrapped packets round the year.
One immediate step towards this goal is making conscious efforts to increase domestic consumption of jackfruit. 'Eat well, waste nil' should be our objective. With proper utilization of this local fruit in many ways, we can bid good-bye to vegetables and fruits that has to come from hundreds of kilometers away and most of them with pesticide residues.
If all of us join hands, we can ensure a deserving place for this fruit. Better utilization and stopping its wastage is the first step towards its development.
Some Useful Webpages
http://www.itfnet.org/index.jsp?page=1&process=11&mid=1&fid=22http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/jackfruit_ars.htmlhttp://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/jackfruit.htmlhttp://www.bijlmakers.com/fruits/jackfruit.htmhttp://www.nutrition-and-you.com/jack_fruit.htmlhttp://www.virtualherbarium.org/tropicalfruit/jackfruit-recipes.htmlhttp://www.tarladalal.com/glossary-raw-jackfruit-739i
Blogs
http://panasamwonders.blogspot.com/http://www.jackfruitfest.org/http://greenjackfruit.blogspot.com/
Videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1L8gJHZUhchttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLwGJyVDPRkhttp://www.videokeralam.com/kerala-videos/peeling-of-jack-fruit-video_e209fc9b0.html (Malayalam)http://www.malayalamtube.com/component/hwdvideoshare/viewvideo/1185/-/2-day-jackfruit-festival-in-ernakulam#axzz1MtCk7GTz (Jack Fest – Malayalam)
Other References
http://www.icuc-iwmi.org/files/News/Resources/Factsheets/jackfruit.pdfhttp://www.agroforestry.net/tti/A.heterophyllus-jackfruit.pdfhttp://www.da.gov.ph/tips/jackfruit.pdfhttp://www.tropicananutritioninstitute.in/swf/jackfruit.pdf
Some Useful Webpages
http://www.itfnet.org/index.jsp?page=1&process=11&mid=1&fid=22http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/jackfruit_ars.htmlhttp://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/jackfruit.htmlhttp://www.bijlmakers.com/fruits/jackfruit.htmhttp://www.nutrition-and-you.com/jack_fruit.htmlhttp://www.virtualherbarium.org/tropicalfruit/jackfruit-recipes.htmlhttp://www.tarladalal.com/glossary-raw-jackfruit-739i
Blogs
http://panasamwonders.blogspot.com/http://www.jackfruitfest.org/http://greenjackfruit.blogspot.com/
Videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1L8gJHZUhchttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLwGJyVDPRkhttp://www.videokeralam.com/kerala-videos/peeling-of-jack-fruit-video_e209fc9b0.html (Malayalam)http://www.malayalamtube.com/component/hwdvideoshare/viewvideo/1185/-/2-day-jackfruit-festival-in-ernakulam#axzz1MtCk7GTz (Jack Fest – Malayalam)
Other References
http://www.icuc-iwmi.org/files/News/Resources/Factsheets/jackfruit.pdfhttp://www.agroforestry.net/tti/A.heterophyllus-jackfruit.pdfhttp://www.da.gov.ph/tips/jackfruit.pdfhttp://www.tropicananutritioninstitute.in/swf/jackfruit.pdf
National Jackfruit FestCo-ordination Office:
Santhigram, Kazhuvur P.O; Pulluvila-695 526,Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, S. India
Phone: 0471-2269780, 6452511, 2722151 E.mail: [email protected]
Web : www.jackfruitfest.org.
Nati
onal Jackfr
uit
Fest
