Jackfruit arrivals yet to gather pace

Coimbatore: It is not just mangoes! Arrival of jackfruits to the district too has been delayed by almost a month. And traders attribute it to the sweltering summer.
Usually, jackfruits start to arrive in the city in March first week. While this was delayed to the last week of March, the picture isn’t any rosy now as the number of fruits hitting the market is too meagre, said fruit commission agents. “Farmers in Kerala are yet to harvest the fruit, hoping it would grow a little bigger over the next couple of days. As the supply is low, a fruit is priced at Rs 400.”

On March 25, fruit and vegetable commission agents at the corporation market have received their first lot of around 200 jackfruits. Since arrivals were already delayed by three weeks, traders were delighted and hoped the numbers would increase in the days to come. However, 10 days later, the market continues to receive only 200 to 250 fruits a day.

“The fruit mainly comes from Malappuram and Perinthalmanna in Kerala. During our enquiries, traders said farmers there were hesitating to harvest the fruits, as they are yet to mature fully,” said A Faisal, joint secretary, Coimbatore Corporation Fruits and Vegetables Commission Agents’ Association. “The fruits taste good but seem to be maturing slowly due to severe heat.”

Traders said they usually receive around 8,000 fruits a day, each weighing 12 kg to 13kg, by April first week. “Presently, arrivals are 2% of the usual quantity,” Faisal said.

Traders hope the fruit would arrive in large quantities by April 10, allowing them to cash in on the Chithirai Kani or Vishu festival. “Sale of jackfruits usually peaks during the Tamil New Year, also celebrated as Chithirai Kani,” said Mohammed Sadiq of Kunhimon and Sons, another trader at Ukkadam market. “Jackfruit is one of the five major fruits used to prepare ‘kani’ on that day,” Faizal said.

Presently, a fruit is priced at anywhere Rs100 and Rs400, depending on the size and quality. Traders said the prices would drop to Rs 40-Rs 200 a fruit after Chithirai Kani.

Traders also attributed the low jackfruit arrivals to the low retail business it sees. Faisal said agents can aggressively source jackfruits from across the state, where trees produce a few fruits during off season. “However, unless a trader confirms large orders, they don’t risk sourcing jackfruits because retail business has almost become nil. Customers do not come to the market and buy fruits directly from us, as the entrance stinks and it is geographically far away from the bus stand,” Sadiq said.

The market was shifted last year to a location almost 1km away from the bus stand. The entrance to the market is the next to the sewage pumping station at Ukkadam. “The corporation has promised to shift it out in sometime,” Faizal said.