Madanapalle division in Chittoor district, known as the largest tomato producing belt in Asia, is set to achieve yet another record with its fat and sweet jamun fruit. The Konkan variety of jamun from Goa and northern parts of Maharashtra, which reached the soil of Madanapalle, said to be one and half a decade ago, has come to bolster the happy moments among the health-conscious public, not only in Chittoor district, but also elsewhere in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Limited pockets in Madanapalle region towards Karnataka border produce about 300 tonnes of this hybrid variety jamun in about one hundred hectares, between May and August. Interestingly, this breed has proven to be more agile in Madanapalle region ever since its inception than in the region of its innovation. A decade ago, this fruit found its way into the busy markets all the way from Maharashtra in limited quantity. Now, it’s available aplenty everywhere in Chittoor district.
Priced at ₹130 to ₹150 a kg, the jamun sells like hot cakes thanks to the growing incidence of diabetes. As and when a diabetic sees these alluring and gleaming fruit on pushcarts, they would not simply resist the temptation.
Harvested fruit from the small plantations would reach the fruit mundies (trading centres) at Tirupati, Chittoor and Madanapalle, and in turn would spread all over the district. A limited quantum would reach Chennai and Bengaluru, where the price would zoom close to ₹200-250 a kg. This difference in price is attributed to transportation costs and poor shelf life of the fruit.
During the last five years, the Forest Department has embarked on supplying the jamun saplings to the farmers meant to be raised along field borders and to empower farmers with additional income, though the prime objective is to increase the green cover. Compared to eastern parts of Chittoor, the Madanapalle belt proved to be a bumper hit.
AP Micro Irrigation Project Director Y. Vidya Shankar, also a horticulture expert, said that the Konkan breed jamun has come to stay in Chittoor, bringing high yields to the farmers. “The price of the fruit is costly, because of the harvesting of fruit is very expensive. The tender fruit would get instantly damaged the moment it touches the ground. Scientifically, it’s also proved that the jamun has wonderful medicinal faculties in diabetic care and also for kidney ailments,” he said.
The official said that due to the short life of the fruit after harvesting, the farmers are forced to dispose the stocks immediately, which otherwise would fetch them even more profits.
Meanwhile, the jamun also has its negative impact on the diabetic care. Undoubtedly, it is widely accepted as a miracle fruit for diabetics. But, there is a danger that it might build up overconfidence among the patients, particularly those with high blood sugar levels.
Senior medical officer and a diabetes specialist P. Ravi Raju clarified that the jamun fruit has the power to reduce the blood sugar levels only negligibly, “say at the maximum 10 mgdl.”
