In a step to enhance nutritional security, Chief Secretary Suresh Mahapatra has directed to promote and popularise jackfruit cultivation in the State.
Mahapatra was presiding over a meeting here on production of nutritious fruits recently wherein Additional Chief Secretary Sanjeeb Chopra outlined the issues for discussion.
Mahapatra directed the Department of Horticulture to popularise cultivation of jackfruit with necessary supports like quality planting material, post harvest processing, value addition and marketing. He added that jackfruit could be branded and popularized as a super-food among the people.
Mahapatra directed to identify the potential areas where jackfruit could be cultivated in large patches. The department was asked to explore all possibilities for promoting it in the areas where people had traditional skill for jackfruit cultivation.
Development Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Jena asked the department to work out a detail plan with inputs from the thematic experts. The experts suggested to glamorize the food items processed from jackfruit through jackfruit festivals at different levels.
Chopra appraised that as per available information, Odisha was the second largest producer of jackfruit next to Tripura. Jackfruit trees were found distributed in almost all districts of Odisha. However, around 15 districts contribute major portion of the jackfruit production in the State.
Chopra added that jackfruit trees were mostly confined to forest areas, backyards, waste lands, and road sites with around 3.15 MT production per annum.
The Chief Secretary directed to create extensive awareness about the nutritional composition of jackfruit along the lines of millet mission activities so that its commercial production would be taken up by the farmers.
He also directed to promote local entrepreneurship for setting up post-harvest processing, and value addition enterprises on different verities of jackfruits. He also directed to increase the area under jackfruit cultivation in convergence with ongoing horticultural schemes and MGNRGES.