FRUITS APLENTY BUT UNTAPPED MARKET
* In Kerala and Maharashtra, Jackfruit and kokum have transformed into popular products
* In Goa the market is untapped into though the State generates a huge amount of fruits
* Experts believe in considering farm level processing units to supply the bigger units
* Experts advocate for change in mindset and focus on smaller working units to help promote industry
* The big push will come when Goa can create farm level processing units, the experts opine
* Idea of importing jackfruit from Goa to Kerala being considered if certain amount of processing undertaken
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THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI: Natural untapped resources like jackfruit and kokum have transformed into popular products in states like Kerala and Maharashtra, but for a state like Goa, that generates a huge amount of fruits, the market is yet to be tapped into.
But instead of full scale production of jackfruit wafers or kokum syrup, industry professional believe creating farm level processing units to supply the bigger units is something that needs considering.
Speaking at a seminar at the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), resource persons including NABARD’s T Geetha and GCCI agriculture chairman Miguel Braganza pointed to the need for a change in mindset and focus on smaller working units to help promote the industry.
“The big push will come when Goa can successfully create farm level processing units and not full scale. This is what has to be instilled in the minds of the farmers and entrepreneurs,” said Braganza. Geetha on the other hand pointed to the need of a change in mindset of Goans that do not make full use of naturally available fruits.
The demand certainly exists according to Kerala entrepreneur Subhash Koroth, MD of Artocarpus Food in Kannur. “It has not even been a year since I started the company and I already have trouble catering to the demand that we receive,” he said.
Koroth’s company manufactures jackfruit chips and the favorites among cake manufacturing companies are jackfruit pulp and seed flour. He has through his single processing unit in Kannur managed to cater to companies like Britannica that are currently testing products using jackfruit seed flour in cakes. His products have also been used in making ice creams, muffins, chapattis, pickles and masalas.
The problem however, said Koroth was the issue of wastage of the fruit. He did consider the idea of importing jackfruit from Goa, if there was a certain amount of processing undertaken, thus saving on the wastage and spoilage factor.
Another entrepreneur who managed to find a niche for himself in the market is Kudal based Mohan Hodawdekar who last year sold 34 lakh jackfruit modaks to supermarkets like Nature’s Basket, Big Bazaar and Hypercity.
The means to getting started according to him, is to research and map jackfruit and kokum growers, give them the training on how to process it, conduct brainstorming workshops and standardize procedures. He did so, in a village in Sindhdurg, that today provides him with the basic processed jackfruit that is then converted into cakes, toffees, pickles and his most popular modaks.
