The maiden international workshop on ‘Production, value-addition and marketing of jackfruit’ that began at the Regional Agriculture Research Station of the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) at Ambalavayal on Wednesday stressed the need for promoting cultivation of fruit plants for ensuring food and nutritional security of the population.
Speaking after inaugurating the technical sessions of the programme, Mohammed Desailly Hassim, chief executive officer, International Tropical Fruits Network (TF Net), Malaysia, an independent and self-financing network established under the auspices of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, stressed the need for popularising and promoting cultivation of fruit plants.
“Fruits are a very important and indispensable element of food. We are promoting production and value addition of tropical fruits everywhere possible,” Dr. Hassim said.
Jackfruit was a major fruit in the world market and this workshop was aimed at sharing information, experience, and expertise in post-harvest handling of the fruit, Dr. Hassim said. He also asked all citizens of the country to join the one million fruit tree campaign initiated by TF Net.
KAU Vice Chancellor P. Rajendran said in his presidential address that 80% of jackfruit produced in the country was wasted owing to the dearth of knowledge on value-addition.
“Despite the nutritional and medicinal value of the fruit as well as the economic and environmental importance of the tree, the farmers were yet to pay attention to it,” Dr. Rajendran said, adding that the university had already established a germ plasm of 68 accessions at Ambalavayal.
Multiple utility
Sisir Mitra, chairman, Fruit Crops section of the Indian Society of Horticultural Research, described jackfruit as a composite tree of multiple utility and a purely organic fruit crop.
The six-day programme is being organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and the KAU, in association with the Indian Council for Agricultural Research, International Fruit Network, National Horticulture Board, and other organisations.
