AGARTALA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appreciation of the jackfruit export initiative of the Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) from Tripura has made the farmers happy here while the state government termed it a‘recognition’ of pro-people governance.
While addressing Man-Ki-Baat, PM Modi on Sunday referred to the success of Tripura farmers in exporting jackfruit last week to the UK. Anticipating the demand of Tripura jackfruits in the country and abroad, best quality jackfruits were brought to Guwahati by train with the help of APEDA and then sent to London by air cargo via Delhi, he said.
Happy with the applause from Prime Minister Saidul Alam, a jackfruit producer in Sepahijala district, said, “We are poor people doing cultivation of various agriculture and horticulture items – not much involved in politics. But we do vote in the elections. When PM Modi told the story of our jackfruit to 130 crore Indians, I felt we are honored and encouraged to do farming and produce export quality items more to bring laurels for our country.”
Echoing the sentiment, agriculture minister Pranajit Singharoy said with the help of APEDA a maiden consignment of the best summer fruit of Tripura, jackfruit, was exported to London after exporting pineapple and lemon to the Middle East and UK for the last three years. “The PM’s words have made us happy that our farmers are doing well and as a government we are supporting them in the line of Modi's vision.”
He said a Guwahati-based exporter facilitated the procurement of 350 full-grown jackfruits from Sepahijala district. After quality testing, jackfruits weighing 3-5 kg each were plucked for export from a different village of Melaghar by the Farmers Producers Organisation (FPO).The producers were paid Rs 30 for each jackfruit.
“We are confident that a few more shipments of jackfruits this season will go abroad, APEDA is sincerely trying to help the farmers. Besides, pineapple and lemon are also expected to be exported this year although there is a lot of uncertainty due to the Covid-19 second wave,” the minister indicated.
Tripura is the biggest producer of jackfruit in the country and the best quality jackfruits are available only for a month between the middle of May to the middle of June. However, the horticulture department of Tripura has been working on increasing the shelf life of jackfruit through natural processes. Tripura jackfruits have been making their way to Bangladesh markets for decades through riverine routes. They are sold for over Rs 100 there, but here the producers get nothing worthwhile. In the local market too, the best quality jackfruit is sold for Rs 50-80.
Source:timesofindia.indiatimes.com