Farmers in the district have started making additional income by bringing seasonal fruit like jackfruit and mango from elsewhere and selling them at the busy roadside points to a variety of buyers in the city.
As there is an increasing demand for jackfruit, it is being brought in bulk from the faraway plantations in Kerala where the traders are managing to get it at Rs. 40,000 a lorry load. For its transport to Nellore, it is costing another Rs. 30,000 or so.
“Each lorry carries a thousand jackfruits. We sell at the rate of Rs. 100 a fruit on an average. We get about Rs. 20,000 to Rs 25,000 profit on each lorry. This is in ideal conditions,” said C. Seshaiah, a farmer who hails from Rajupalem near here.
Along with some workers, he sells the fruit which is unloaded on the roadside near the mini bypass road. The season for jackfruit lasts for nearly three to four months.
Jackfruit can also be brought from Godavari districts but the local farmers prefer to go to Kerala considering the availability of the fruit in larger quantities and at better price. “These days, people are buying it in good numbers. Earlier, street vendors used to be the major buyers. This fruit is being used in curries and biryanis,” said Mr. Seshaiah. Depending on the size of the fruit, they get prices in the range of Rs. 70 to Rs. 150 on each fruit.
The reasons for the increased popularity for jackfruit are many as it is a rich source of dietary fibre, minerals and vitamins. It is liked for its soft, delicious flesh also called bulb. Jackfruit is an Asian tropical fruit which is fat-free with its seed also being used in snacks and curries.
