Jackfruit declared as Kerala’s official fruit

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Wednesday declared jackfruit as its official fruit.
The official announcement in this regard was made by agriculture minister V.S. Sunil Kumar in the state assembly. The aim is to promote ‘Kerala jackfruit’ as a brand in markets across the country and abroad, showcasing its organic and nutritious qualities, he said.
This would also help in giving in the fruit’s production and sale, besides increasing its value-added products. Every year around 32 crore jackfruit is produced in the state, of which 30% gets wasted. A total revenue of Rs15,000 crore is expected through sale of jackfruit and its allied products through branding of the fruit, he said.
The ‘Kerala jackfruit’ is more organic and tasty as it is produced in a very natural way without using any chemical fertilisers or pesticides, the minister said. There are also plans to distribute maximum jackfruit saplings among the public to grow it in their backyards as part of plans to expand the cultivation, he said.
The agricultural office in Ambalavayil in Wayanad will be used as a research station for jackfruit. Elephant is the state animal of Kerala, while ‘great hornbill’ the bird and ‘kanikkonna’ the official flower. The state had recently declared pearl spot, popularly known as ‘karimeen’, as its official fish.
Latest News »
- West Bengal panchayat elections: Opposition fears more violence over poll nomination
- Karnataka elections: Can Siddaramaiah win back his old bastion?
- Fuel marketers may have to continue paying higher debit card fees
- 14 Naxals killed in Gadchiroli encounter in Maharashtra
- BJP gears up for solo fight in Maharashtra polls, but alliance talks on with Shiv Sena
Latest News »
Karnataka polls may turn out to be anybody’s game
TCS bets on Business 4.0 to push digital revenue to over $5bn this year
Almost half of UK voters want new centrist party, poll shows
Macron may be Europe’s best chance to avert Trump’s trade threat
Toshiba eyes cancelling chip unit sale if no China approval by May
Mark to Market »
IndusInd Bank’s big bad loan divergence foretells a painful bank results season
Investors in IBC companies face a harsh reality
Q4 results: Tata Consultancy Services ends FY18 well, will valuations tango?
RBI minutes show a repo rate hike is around the corner
ACC: Healthy volume growth, lower overhead expenses save the day