The jackfruit is a superfood that is well-known for its nutritional advantages and is an excellent vegetarian or vegan option. As a result of this growing awareness, Goa's director of agriculture, Nevil Alphonso, has announced plans to encourage jackfruit production on a commercial scale.
He estimates that 30 to 40 hectares of land in the state would be planted with jackfruit this year.
In Goa's tropical, humid, and rainy environment, jackfruit trees thrive and may be found in abundance across the state. Furthermore, they are resilient trees that require minimal care and maintenance as they mature. The trees provide a lot of fruit, and a ripe jackfruit can weigh anywhere from 2 to 15 kilograms.
Furthermore, both the raw and mature varieties of the fruit are edible. Keeping this in mind, Alphonso said that the department intends to establish large-scale companies in Goa to promote value-added jackfruit products. "Through its value addition plan, the Agriculture Directorate supports methods of putting jackfruit products to use."
Subsidies for Jackfruit Business
Subsidies are now available for machines that dehydrate fruit bulbs before they are packed and sold. Subsidies are also available for a machine that produces 'sattam,' a regionally popular chewable snack derived from ripe jackfruit pulp. After the requirements are fulfilled, interested farmers/people can apply for these subsidies," Alphonso stated.
Kalpana Bhat, a Poinguinim native who operates a seasonal business preparing jackfruit chips, employs two to five women and makes roughly Rs 2 lakh every season.
Saurabh Kamat, also from Poinguinim, has been making 'sattam' from ripe jackfruits for about 15 years. According to Kamal, sweet delicacy is in high demand in the market. He claims that the jackfruit seed is mostly utilized as cattle feed.
According to Alphonso, the department supports the production of jackfruit, kokum, custard apples, amla, and tamarind as these 'dry land horticulture crops' do not require watering during the summer under the Western Ghat programme.
