01-05-2025
Annual Jackfruit Festival to take place on May 3 and 4
The Jackfruit Festival, which is conducted every year, will be held in the city on May 3 and 4 and feature many varieties of the fruit from different parts of the State and the country.
Organised by Sahja Samrudha, in collaboration with Amul Organic and Rich Plus, the festival will be held at the Nanjaraja Bahadur Choultry. The organisers said that the event promises to be an enriching experience for producers, consumers, and enthusiasts alike.
Krishnaprasad of Sahaja Samrudha said that jackfruit was one of the most nutritious and versatile fruits, and the fourth-largest fruit crop in the country in terms of production. He said it is known for its rich medicinal and nutraceutical properties, and experts vouch for the rich vitamin and mineral content apart from the dietary fibre in the fruit.
However, there was a perception that despite its benefits, jackfruit remains an underutilised and neglected crop. In this backdrop, the Jackfruit Festival is being conducted not only to promote its commercial potential for farmers, but also in a bid to preserve the diversity of the fruit.
To showcase its diversity, the organisers will exhibit and sell red and white-fleshed jackfruit in addition to the yellow-fleshed fruit, which is known to consumers.
There will also be 'Jackfruit Food Bazaar', which will highlight various innovative and value-added products like jackfruit ice cream, jams, squashes, papads, halwa, kababs, holige, and dosa. In addition, there will be cooking demonstrations to showcase the versatility of the fruit in traditional and modern recipes, according to the organisers.
Seedlings of 25 unique jackfruit varieties, including Rudrakshi Halasu, Siddu, Shankara, Tubagere Halasu, Vietnam Super Early, and Chandra Halasu, the rare red jackfruits from Karnataka, will also be on sale.
Farmers from H.D. Kote, Periyapatna, Kollegal, Srirangapatna, Tiptur, Chikkanayakanahalli, and Haveri will bring jackfruits cultivated in their farms along with value-added products.
There will also be a jackfruit eating competition on May 4 at 2 p.m., and jackfruit lifting and weight-guessing competitions will be held.
A drawing competition for children and adults on May 3 at 2 p.m. and a training session on May 3 with experts guiding farmers on seed selection, planting techniques, care, and harvesting are other events to be held as part of the festival.
The festival will be inaugurated by Krishnamurthy Beligere, a poet and organic farmer. Karunakaran, principal scientist and head of the Central Horticultural Experimental Station, Manjunath Angadi, Deputy Director of the Horticulture Department, Rangarajan T.N. from Amul Organic and Rich Plus, and others will be present.
