THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Jackfruit has attained a respected status with the state government declaring it as the official fruit of Kerala. Announcing the decision, Agriculture Minister V S Sunil Kumar told the Assembly that Kerala has been producing around 30 to 60 crore jackfruits every year.
The state can generate a revenue of around Rs 30,000 crore through value-added jackfruit products, the minister said.As there is no specific plantation and all jackfruits are produced in the courtyards of around 72 lakh families, the government could build a Kerala jackfruit brand and work for its certification as a complete organic product.The minister said unlike in neighbouring states, Kerala jackfruits are 100 per cent organic. But 30 per cent of the jackfruits are left to decay in the state.If these jackfruits are used for value addition, there is a scope for farmers in the state to generate Rs 30,000 crore in income.
Paddy cultivation
While replying to the demands for grants in the 2018-19 Budget, the minister said the government’s aim was to extend the paddy cultivation area to 3 lakh hectares. “Even if we produce paddy in 3 lakh hectares, we can produce only 10 lakh MT of rice, while the state’s requirement is 40 lakh MT. Going by the production of 5.5 lakh MT of rice from 2.2 lakh hectares, the state can produce 10 lakh MT of rice from 3 lakh hectares,” he said.
However, the introduction of high-yield paddy seeds would help save the time for introducing double crops in certain paddy fields, he said, adding that about 62 varieties of paddy being cultivated by tribal farmers in the Special Economic Zone of Wayanad will be conserved.
The Njattuvela fest will be held for 14 days as part of the Thiruvathira Njattuvela, he said. The government is also planning to go for pineapple cultivation in 500 acres for the sole purpose of exports. Farmers will be made entrepreneurs by facilitating agroparks. The first agropark will come up at Thrissur. The Kera gramam project will be implemented in 79 panchayts, the minister added.