Time ripe for a jackfruit board, says food processor

The time is ripe for constituting a jackfruit board on the model of the newly-announced Makhana Board in Bihar. Considering the fruit’s potential for meeting food needs, its medicinal value and its capacity to generate a large volume of business, a jackfruit board should be set up, says James Joseph, innovator, who launched the brand Jackfruit 365.

It is estimated that Kerala produces around three million tonnes of fruits of which nearly 50% is accounted for by jackfruit, which is not promoted for consumption despite the government declaring it the State’s official fruit in 2018.

According to some estimates, about 1,000 tonnes of jackfruit is exported from Kerala for about 100 days in a year, pointing to the big volume of business in the fruit. The fruit mostly goes waste because of a lack of processing facilities.

Mr. Joseph appealed to the State government to give the concept of establishing a jackfruit board more thought and consideration because the State’s economy stands to gain in a big way from the initiative.

He pointed to the example of millets which has seen more exposure and widespread consumption in the country, thanks to efforts to promote it under the National Millet Mission. Jackfruit too can be promoted on a similar line and Kerala is one of the largest producers of the fruit in the country.