The government has unveiled plans to promote the processing and value addition of jackfruit in a big way. Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar said here on Wednesday that the first jackfruit processing plant in the government sector would start operations at Mala in Thrissur next month.
The plant, utilising technology developed by the Central Food Technological Research Institute and the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), is expected to manufacture a range of products, including candies, jam, syrup and nectar for the domestic and export markets.
The government has also begun work on establishing a mechanism for the procurement of jackfruit from farmers through the Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Keralam (VFPCK). “While lakhs of jackfruit are exported from Kerala to other States every year, farmers are yet to be assured of good returns from the crop. By utilising the VFPCK network, we hope to ensure better remuneration for them,” he said at a press conference.
The Minister said an amount of ₹15 crore would be invested this year on to promote value addition of jackfruit, a naturally organic crop. “Even if 20% of the annual production of 3 crore jackfruit in Kerala can be preserved and processed, it will go a long way in reducing post-harvest losses. It will also help us tap the booming global market for organic food products,” he said. The government is extending a subsidy of ₹10 lakh for entrepreneurs and farmer producer organisations setting up jackfruit processing plants in the State.
The Minister said efforts were on to revive the Jive and Jyothi brands of fruit drinks manufactured by government undertakings and utilise their marketing network to sell the jackfruit-based products manufactured at the Mala plant. “Both the brands together have thousands of outlets across the State that can be revived and pressed into service,” he said.
While Jive is manufactured by the Vazhakulam Agro and Fruit Processing Company, the Jyothi brand is produced by the Kerala Agro Fruit Products.
Mr. Kumar said the government would not allow the use of pesticides for the production of jackfruit, even if commercial plantations were to come up in the State.