Enarada, Mangalore, June 28, 2013:
Text and Photos by C D Souza
The two-day 4th annual jack fruit mela organized by Krishi Vigyan Kendra Mangalore and Karnatataka Veterinary and Fisheries Science University, Bidar, is attracting huge crowds. It is being held at Fisheries College in the city on June 28 and 29th June 2013.
The overwhelming response of the public shows that people are once again evincing keen interest in jack fruit and have come to accept the goodness of jack fruit as a delicious and tasty fruit. The interest shown by public is also an indicator that publicity and awareness created among the public through fests of this nature has helped to tap the market for jack fruit which is being neglected and wasted these days as people are unaware of its taste and nutritional value.
It is through the unstinting efforts of the government departments and NGO’s to create awareness that the jack fruit is gaining its prominent place as a fruit.
Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchyat CEO Dr K N Vijayaprakash who inaugurated the fest today, lauded the qualities of jack fruit and pointed out that jack fruit should once again be brought to the forefront as a fruits with several qualities and should be given prominent place among the fruits we consume.
Vijayaprakash highlighted the role of jack fruit saying “jack fruit is a traditional fruit of this district and at one time it sustained the poor especially when there was rampant poverty and shortage of food”. Vijayprakash who also spoke about the need to highlight the varied benefits of jack fruit lamented the extinction of some of the traditional fruits of this region. He emphasized the need to safeguard our environment by growing traditional crops and to create awareness among children on this type of fruits.
S D Sampath Samrajya, President Krishika Samaja, Dakshinka Kannada district who inaugurated the jackfruit exhibition and mela equated jack fruit to an insurance policy saying that jackfruit tree does not need any maintenance. If and when a need arises the tree grown by our forefathers can be cut to meet the financial crunch, he declared.
In the afternoon there were two seminars with Sri Padre and Smt Bahirathi L as resource persons. Sri Padre spoke on the “Future of jack fruit and opportunities” where as Dr Bhagirathi L spoke on the “After harvest technological aspects of jack fruit”.
A variety of jack fruits and jack fruit saplings have been exhibited here to enable general public to take a peek at the jack fruit saplings and also to buy jack fruits from among the many varieties available. Jack fruit saplings were selling like hot cakes at the fest. There were also organic eatables and other byproducts of jack fruits like homemade pappads, jams, squashes, chips and dried eatables on display in the stalls.
