RAJSHAHI, March 14, 2021 (BSS)- Agricultural scientists and researchers
have urged the growers to process jackfruit for their financial benefit
through value addition of the seasonal fruit.
There is an ample scope of improving socio-economic conditions of the
jackfruit-growing area through boosting the production of jackfruit-based
various safe foods. Besides, diversified use of Jackfruit can play a vital
role to reduce postharvest losses of jackfruit.
Agricultural experts came up with the observations while addressing
technical sessions of a daylong farmers training on production of jackfruit-
based safe food at Baraigram village under Baraigram upazila in Natore
district yesterday.
Postharvest Technology Division (PHTD) of Bangladesh Agricultural
Research Institute (BARI) and New Vision Solutions Limited (NVSL) jointly
hosted the training under the project titled “Postharvest Management,
Processing and Marketing of Jackfruits”.
Upazila Agricultural Officer Sharmin Sultana, PHTD Senior Scientific
Officer and Principal Investigator of the project Dr Golam Ferdous Chowdhury,
NVSL Project Officer Kaiser Alam and its Senior Associate Researcher Atiqul
Islam conducted the training sessions as resource persons disseminating their
expertise on the issue.
In the training, the farmers were given ideas and knowledge on how to
produce various nutritious foods like jackfruit chips, jams, jackfruit
leather, pickles, fresh-cut, ready-to-cook, frozen and dried food.
PHTD and New Vision Solutions Limited are jointly implementing the
project with financial support of Krishi Gobeshona Foundation (KGF) in order
to reduce the postharvest losses through enhancing jackfruit production,
postharvest management, processing and marketing.
On the occasion, a group of 15 farmers and small entrepreneurs has been
formed and they will work to reduce loss of jackfruit by supplying jackfruit
and manufacturing and marketing various types of jackfruit products.
Dr Ferdous Chowdhury told the participants that processing of jackfruit
after the best uses of the modern technologies can be the vital means of its
value addition besides stopping the wastages.
Around 10.36 lakh tonnes of jackfruit are produced in Bangladesh every
year and of which 1.26 lakh tonnes are in Rajshahi division.
Apart from food and timber, jackfruit, the national fruit of Bangladesh,
has some other benefits including leaves of jackfruit trees is a source of
food for goats and the trees produce a sticky latex substance that can be
used as glue.
Jackfruit trees are generally easier and cheaper to cultivate than other
popular staples like wheat and corn because they don’t have to be replanted
every year.
Dr Chowdhury said Jackfruit is the largest tree-borne fruit in the
country. One fruit can weigh between 5 and 30 kilograms and contain hundreds
of seeds that are rich in protein, potassium, calcium, and iron — all of
which are important for bodily growth.
Reportedly, up to 50 per cent of jackfruits grown in Bangladesh valued
at around Taka 500 crore go to waste, partly because the fruit goes bad if
it’s not eaten or preserved within a few weeks.
So, proper collection, management, processing technology and
conservation is very important for substantial and sustainable reduction of
the yearly losses.
He also said Jackfruit contains high-powered antioxidants that protect
the human body from harmful cancer.
So, the farmers are being imparted training to motivate them towards
making various food items of jackfruit.
Apart from this, various steps are being taken to popularize jackfruit
through various promotional activities under the three-year project being
implemented in eight districts.