The first ever jackfruit collection and processing centre, organised under the aegis of the State government under the Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Keralam (VFPCK), has launched sale of jackfruit, ready to eat, under the brand name ‘Thalir.’
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This is the first time that efforts are being made to sell the widely available fruit in a brand name, utilising its popularity as well as its great qualities as a food item.
The branded jackfruit comes with traceability. Each of the farmers, who supply the fruit to the VFPCK centre near Thodupuzha, will provide details of the origin so that the buyers are able to get value for their money.
The buyers will be able to give feedback on the quality of the fruit. The traceability aspect will add more attraction to the marketing of the fruit, which is now being procured at a price of ₹18 a kg. Earlier, the price was ₹20 a kg. But the fruit has become more widely available with the onset of the season.
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The Jackfruit centre is based at Kalayanthani in Alakkode panchayat, near Thodupuzha, and the supply has been steady, said an official of the VFPCK on Saturday. The council had also been providing an extra ₹5 towards the labour involved in plucking and transporting the fruit to the common market, the official said.
The emphasis is now on selling the most favoured variety ‘Varikka’ under the brand name as ripe fruit. Farmers have also been trained in processing the raw jack as value added food item. Each of the jackfruit being sold is now tagged so that the consumers can identify the origin of the fruit.
The second wave of COVID-19 has been a big setback to the process of marketing jackfruit, which is now being sourced from Idukki district, where farmers have tied up with the VFPCK.