HEALTH AND WEALTH FROM JACKFRUIT

Assam is a rich state in the production of fruits and medicinal plants.
HEALTH AND WEALTH FROM JACKFRUIT

Dr Mukul C Bora

(drmukulcbora@gmail.com)

Assam is a rich state in the production of fruits and medicinal plants. Jack fruit is one of the fruits that never attract the people of this soil to go for its systematic cultivation even though it has got huge economic potential. The value addition of jackfruit may lead to the huge economic uplift of the people of this state which is rich in huge agricultural resources. Assam has witnessed a plantation area of 22,233 hectares from 17,908 hectares during 2003-04 and 2012-2013 and maybe more if the value addition may take place. It is estimated that nearly 60% of the country's jackfruit are grown in the Northeast. "Jackfruit despite founding in abundance in Northeast it is being neglected. The total Jackfruit Market size is $286 Million (around Rs. 2100 crore) in 2019, out of which 1252 crore in domestic and rest in the international market and is growing at a CAGR of 3.2% during the forecast period 2020-2025 (As per a report published by National Institute of Agricultural Marketing, Jaipur). The various products which can be produced as value-added products are summarised below so that our educated youth of this state can opt for this type of Agro-Based Manufacturing Unit for employment generation.

Canned Jackfruit: Apart from the domestic market, canned jackfruits have good export potential also. As raw fruit is a highly perishable item, we can preserve it in sugar syrup for a long duration of time. You will need to use the crisp bulbs of the ripe Jackfruit for canning purposes. Also, you will need raw materials like sugar, citric acid and packing materials like a tin can etc., for operating the unit.

Fruit Bar: Generally, fruit bars are healthy snacks items that provide a delicious taste also. It is also popular as fruit toffee. So, fruit bars have a wide market throughout the country. You can prepare the fruit bar from jackfruits also. Commercial manufacturing is a highly profitable business. As the raw materials, you will need starch, sugar, colour, preservatives, skimmed milk powder, hydrogenated fat, flavour, glucose etc.

Ice Cream: Ice creams in different fruit flavours are getting huge popularity these days. Currently, people of all age groups consume ice creams throughout the year. Hence, it is not a seasonal business. And you can prepare ice cream with jack pulp. Initiating this type of unit demands a very small startup investment. From the same unit using the same machinery and equipment, you can produce other items also.

Jack chips: Raw jackfruit is the basic raw material for fried jack chips. First of all, cut the raw jackfruits into large pieces. Then, remove the bulbs and seeds by hand. Then cut the raw bulbs into suitable lengthwise pieces. Finally, fry these pieces in coconut oil or refined vegetable oil. Also, you may add salt to the frying pieces to enhance their taste and preservation.

Jackfruit Nectar: "Nectar" typically refers to beverages produced by dilution of fruit pastes or juices with or without the addition of sweeteners. It is a healthy food item even for children and seniors. In nectar processing, you will need to remove the bulbs from ripe jackfruit. And pass them through a pulping/fruit mill. Then mix with about 10% hot water and pass through a pulper having a fine sieve of 1 mm hole. Now you can use this pulp for preparing nectar.

Jackfruit Peda: Peda is a typical Indian sweet and it is also popular as Khoa. Peda is harder and has a granular texture in comparison with Burfi. Generally, it comes as round. Manufacturing of Peda involves blending and kneading of Khoa and sugar until a smooth and homogenous product is formed. Here you can add jackfruit pulp to prepare jack Peda. The manufacturing process is simple. And it doesn't demand a huge investment.

Jackfruit Squash: In our country, fruit squash is a popular product in preparing homemade cold drinks like sorbet. You can find a wide number of established brands like Kissan, Druke, Ruhafza, etc. You can prepare jackfruit squash from the juice and pulp. The manufacturing process is simple. You will need to provide good quality moisture and leak-proof packaging.

Jack Seed Flour: The manufacturing of jackfruit seed flour is easy. Also, the technology is readily available for entrepreneurs.

Due to its high carbohydrate content and other nutrients, they can be added to baked products for value addition without affecting the functional and sensory properties of the final product.

Jam: For jam preparation, you will need to use fully ripe jackfruits. You can prepare it by boiling fruit pulp with sugar, pectin, and acid. You need to invest a small startup capital for starting a small-scale unit. Basically, jam is an intermediate moisture food and high sugar content increases its caloric value. Due to the sweet taste, people of all age groups consume jam frequently.

Pickles: You will need to use unripe jackfruits for preparing pickles. Apply oil to a knife and peel the jackfruit. Peel the skin. Cut the peeled fruits into 12-18 mm thick slices. Prepare a 5% common salt solution by mixing salt with water, 50 g salt/l. Place the slices in a container and cover with the brine solution. Drain the slices after 24 hours. Finally, grind and mix with spice and vinegar and cook it to make taste.

Jackfruit is a highly fibrous fruit and it helps in improving immunity, refreshing the energy. It is a unique fruit that has got multidimensional health benefits that are not limited to cardiovascular health and regulated Blood Pressure, Digestion, treating skin diseases, prevent/control asthma and many more advantages of jackfruit consumption. As the ripe fruit cannot be kept fresh for a long duration of time and hence it is processing for value-added products is the only viable solution for these wonderful fruits. So if this type of processing may be established it will help the farmers as well will create huge direct and indirect employment opportunities like the state of Assam.

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