As local jackfruit varieties have begun hitting the market, the first jackfruit mela of the season in the region will be organised at Navarang, Panemangalore, on April 26.
The ‘halasina santhe’ organised by Halasu Premi Koota of Bantwal is the first such mela being organised in Bantwal taluk.
Many value-added products of jackfruit like halwa, rava fry, jam, chocolate, wine, milkshake, squash, dry flake and happala will be for sale. People can also taste food items made out jackfruit like kebab, gatti, kadubu, dosa, bonda, among others. People can also purchase the fruit.
Muliya Venkatakrishna Sharma, one of the organisers, said it would an attempt to bring consumers, entrepreneurs and growers together to expand the market for the fruit.
He said that farmers here had not yet chosen jackfruit as a primary crop like arecanut or rubber. There was a need to select species of jackfruit which could be harvested before May 15. For plantations to be raised, there should be such species, because it helped to provide the best of the fruit for consumption as well as for making certain value-added products. For example, if happala was to be made and dried in sun, the fruit should be available before mid-May.
There will be a discussion on this topic at the santhe, he said.
