Bhubaneswar: The state government is poised to promote jackfruit as a super food as part of its programme to give a boost to production of nutritious fruits.
Presiding a virtual high-level meeting on production of nutritious fruits, here, on Sunday, chief secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra directed to promote and popularise jackfruit cultivation on the lines of millet mission. It can be branded and popularised as a super-food among the people, he added.
Stating that jackfruit has high nutritional value, and the soil and climate of the state are conducive for its production, Mahapatra directed the Horticulture department to provide supports like quality planting material, post harvest processing, value addition and marketing to the farmers. Besides, local entrepreneurs can be encouraged for setting up post-harvest processing, he added.
Additional Chief Secretary Sanjeev Chopra said Odisha is the second largest producer of jackfruit next to Tripura. Though it can be found across the state, around 15 districts produce the lion’s share. While around 3.15 tonne of jackfruit is produced in the state per annum, around 55% are consumed raw as vegetable and around 35% as ripe fruit, he added.
Among others, Development Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Jena, PCCF Sisir Kumar Ratho, vice-chancellor of OUAT Dr PK Biswal, jackfruit expert Dr Achyut Das and senior officers participated in the meeting.
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