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The Hindu
03-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Over 60 jackfruit varieties on display
Over 60 jackfruit varieties, including 'Toobagere Red', 'Prakash Chandra', 'Rudrakshi', 'Shankar', 'Siddu', 'Lalbagh Madhur', and 'Ambali' are on display at the two-day Jackfruit Festival that began here on Saturday. Special attractions include red jackfruit varieties and Rudrakshi, or round jackfruits. Saplings of high-quality varieties are also available for sale. Value-added jackfruit products such as chips, ice cream, halwa, dosa, biryani, and kababs are being showcased in over 55 stalls alongside organic seeds, fruits like mango and jamun, and artisan crafts. Training sessions on jackfruit cultivation, pest and disease management, and marketing were also conducted. A jackfruit-eating competition is scheduled for Sunday at 2 p.m. For more information, visitors shall contact Shanthakumar at 94487 74871.
The Hindu
03-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Two-day jackfruit fest begins in Mysuru
'Those who once wrinkled their noses at its smell, dismissed it as sticky, or ignored it as a cause of stomach pain, are now singing praises of the jackfruit. With a sweet taste, the fruit is rich in medicinal properties, and its fragrance should always fill our homes,' said writer and jackfruit farmer Krishnamurthy Biligere. Speaking at the inauguration of the two-day Jackfruit Festival at Nanjaraja Bahadur Choultry on Vinoba Road here, Mr. Biligere said, 'A crop that requires no chemicals to grow, jackfruit is the 'Kalpavriksha' of open dry lands. Adaptable to changing climates and monsoon conditions, it is a crop for the future. To promote its value addition, financial support should be extended to women's groups and farmer-producer companies.' He urged that farmers interested in jackfruit cultivation should be provided with the necessary support. Organised by Sahaja Samrudha and Rotary Club Mysore West, the festival features a diverse array of jackfruit varieties and showcases its value-added potential. Organic farmer Ramesh of Shivanapura, who was present at the festival, said, like jackfruit, hundreds of neglected fruit varieties need to be identified and brought to the mainstream. For example, the 'bilva fruit', often used for worship, can be turned into a delicious beverage and it should also be popularised, he suggested. Rotary club president Nagesh M.L., who presided over the event, said efforts to bring value to neglected fruits like jackfruit are commendable. Events like this, which connect farmers and consumers, should happen more frequently. Anandateertha Pyati, secretary of the Sahaja Samrudha, described jackfruit as 'the golden crop of drylands' and spoke on its long-term benefits. 'With just four years of care, the jackfruit tree can provide a hundred years of income. Dry land farmers should take up jackfruit cultivation,' he suggested. Devaraju M., secretary of the Rotary Club of Mysore West, said that jackfruit is a gift from nature. People should enjoy the diverse flavors and colors of jackfruit varieties, which provide health benefits to consumers and income to farmers, he added. The director of the Sahaja Samrudha Krishna Prasad spoke on the demand for premium jackfruit varieties, particularly red jackfruit, even in other States. Farmers must seize this opportunity and begin jackfruit farming. The government must provide the support necessary to bring neglected crops to the forefront, he added. Over 60 jackfruit varieties, including 'Toobagere Red', 'Prakash Chandra', 'Rudrakshi', 'Shankar', 'Siddu', 'Lalbagh Madhur', and 'Ambali' are on display at the festival, which began here on Saturday. Special attractions include red jackfruit varieties and Rudrakshi, or round jackfruits. Saplings of high-quality varieties are also available for sale. Value-added jackfruit products such as chips, ice creams, halwa, dosa, biryani, and kababs were being showcased in over 55 stalls alongside organic seeds, fruits like mango and jamun, and artisan crafts, at the festival.
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Time of India
In 1 week since Pahalgam terrorist attack, state tour operators incur over Rs 1cr loss
Patna: Following the terror attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam last week, around 3,000 people from Bihar have cancelled their travel plans to Srinagar between April 23 and 28, resulting in financial losses to the tune of Rs 1.25 crore for travel companies and tour operators. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The Tourism Association of Bihar anticipated that the continuous cancellations of tickets for Kashmir would cause a loss of Rs 10-15 crore to the tour operators for the month of May, even as all airlines have announced they will give a full refund of the cancelled Kashmir tickets. Prakash Chandra, the secretary of the association, told this newspaper that all the registered tour operators in Bihar reported that since the Pahalgam incident, their clients were cancelling the booked tickets for Kashmir, while some altering their plans. "Summer holidays are approaching, and most families booked tickets for vacations in Kashmir, including a visit to Vaishno Devi, but all of them have started cancelling their bookings. People are hesitant to go there after the attack. At least 3,000 people already cancelled their tickets till April 28 since the incident took place on April 22, resulting in loss of Rs 1.25 crore," he said, each tour package costs around Rs 1.5 lakh. He further said most travel agents are based in Patna. "Small agencies in districts coordinate through Patna." Saurav Khemkha, owner of a tour and travel agency at Dak Bungalow Road, said all the scheduled bookings for Kashmir for May and June have been cancelled by the clients. "Most of our clients, who earlier planned their tour for the valley, are now asking for tickets to Shimla and Manali in Himachal Pradesh and Gangtok in Sikkim. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now People are also opting for Ooty among hill stations. Some prefer to spend their holidays on the tropical coasts and beaches of Kerala, besides Andaman and Nicobar Islands," he said, adding now the maximum bookings of around 60% were for Himachal Pradesh, followed by Sikkim. Raj Kumar, sales head of another tour and travel agency on Exhibition Road, said this summer season, they are getting more bookings for hill stations in the south. "For international trips, people are preferring to go to Maldives, Bali, Thailand and Singapore for their beaches," he said. Ranjeet Chaudhary, a resident of Ramna Road, said earlier, he made plans with his wife to spend their kids' summer holidays in Kashmir. "The attack on tourists scared us," he said. Meanwhile, Air India and Air India Express will give a full refund on cancellation of tickets till May 7, whereas IndiGo will give refunds till May 15 and SpiceJet till April 30.
