In W20 in the jackfruit landscape, farmers in Vadakadu county in India are demanding a Geographical Indicator (GI) tag for their jackfruit. Every year, this region produces 150K MT of jackfruit, which is well-received in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Usually, the season runs from March through July, but currently, fruit is available all year. A team comprising farmers and experts has been formed to appeal for GI tag as it would open up a global market. Malaysia met the phytosanitary standards and is now officially permitted to export jackfruit to China. It is now the third country permitted to export to the Chinese market after Thailand and Vietnam. Malaysia produced 31,300MT of jackfruit in 2019. Industry sources claim that Malaysian jackfruit does not clearly outperform Thai and Vietnamese jackfruit in terms of diversity and flavour. Additionally, Malaysia also lags behind Thailand and Vietnam in terms of plantation size, input prices, and shipping time. Therefore, it may be challenging for Malaysian jackfruit to sell for high prices in the Chinese market.
