Jack of all tasty delicacies

UAS has used jackfruit to make srikhand, kulfi, wine and jam

To create awareness about the value-added products of Jackfruit and to bring jackfruit produce in organised sector, the University of Agriculture Sciences (UAS) will hold national workshop on jackfruit - a multipurpose tree on May 21.

Nearly, 300 people are expected to attend the two-day workshop, out of which 200 are farmers. The workshop will be inaugurated by Minister for Horticulture and Prisons Umesh Katti. While Agriculture Minister S A Ravindranath will unveil the exhibition.

Dr K Narayana Gowda, Dean (Agriculture), UAS, said that the idea for the workshop came after the success of the Farmers Jack growers Association in Tubagere Hobli in Doddabhallapur taluk, which the UAS helped set up in 2006.

"The farmers have seen three-fold increase in their profit and organise a transport to bring their produce to the market. This gave us impetus to hold this kind of workshop," said Dr Gowda, who said that this was the first of its kind workshop on jackfruit in the country.

He added that the outcome expected out of the workshop was to prepare package of practices for cultivation, harvesting and processing of jackfruit. The meeting also planned to set guidelines for organising farmers into groups from village to state-level and set up Jack Growers’ Federation in marketing the produce.

"We don't have much research data on jackfruit. However, farmers through experience do. However, this needs to be documented,” said Dr Gowda.

Being an evergreen plant, jackfruit tree can bear fruits throughout the year and has a high carbon conversion rate, informed Dr Shyamalamma from Horticulture Department.
In fact, there are thousands of Jackfruit trees in Western Ghats, however, only 25 per cent is used for human consumption, she added.