In W21 in the jackfruit landscape, more than 2,000 farmers participated in the Mega Jackfruit Festival held at Panruti, India, on May 27 and 28 on behalf of Isha’s Cauvery Calling Movement. The festival was organised at the farm of Thiru Haridas, former Deputy of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, which grows over 100 varieties of jackfruit. The movement was launched by Sadhguru in 2019 to rejuvenate the Cauvery River and improve the economy of the farmers who depend on it. It aims to plant 242 crore trees on agricultural land in TamilNadu and Karnataka's Cauvery basin regions. Moreover, during the event, experts and pioneering farmers from Tamil Nadu and Kerala participated and discussed the advantages of tree-based agriculture, the characteristics of jackfruit, as well as strategies for marketing and value addition. In India, red jackfruit growing is also attracting an increasing amount of interest from farmers.
According to the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, fruit and vegetable exports were over USD 466.5M in May, an increase of 80.6% YoY from USD 258.402M in 2022. In Q1 2023, China spent nearly USD 805MM, up 29% YoY, on importing vegetables and fruits from Vietnam, mainly durian, dragon fruit, bananas, and jackfruit. Lastly, the Regional Jackfruit Industry Development Council in Eastern Visayas, Philippines, will take the lead in finalising the regional jackfruit industry development roadmap as a tool for promoting jackfruit as a regional champion commodity. It also aims to address all perceived bottlenecks along the jackfruit value chain.
