The international webinar on ‘Developing the jackfruit for global consumption and markets’ was held on 21 July 2022 and organized by the International Tropical Fruits Network (TFNet) with support from the Malaysian Department of Agriculture (DOA).
This is the first of a series of webinars on minor tropical fruits to be organized as part of TFNet’s efforts to share knowledge and increase the visibility of lesser-known minor fruits globally.
The webinar series was officiated by HE Dato’ Haslina Abdul Hamid, Chairperson of the TFNet Board of Trustees, and Secretary General of the Malaysian Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries (MAFI).
About 281 people attended the webinar, including researchers, scientists, and the private sector from 19 countries: Australia, Bangladesh, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, USA, UK, and Vietnam.
The six presentations that were given are:
- Status of the jackfruit industry in India
by Dr. Prakash Patil, Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), India - Initiatives to develop the jackfruit as a crop for income generation in Malaysia
by Mr. Christopher Biai, Dept. of Agriculture, Malaysia - Developing the jackfruit as major fruit crop in Indonesia
by Dr. Reza Tirtawinata, Yayasan Durian Nusantara, Indonesia - Situation of production, market and food safety on jackfruit in Vietnam
by Dr. Tran Thi My Hanh, Southern Horticultural Research Institute (SOFRI), Vietnam - The commercialization of jackfruit in the Philippines
by Ms. Brenda J. Pepito, Department of Agriculture, Philippines - Jackfruit – prospects as a plant-based meat alternative
by Mr. Ahmad Syafik Jaafar, IRA NOAH LLP,Malaysia
A panel discussion was moderated by TFNet advisor Yacob Ahmad after the presentations. Speakers responded to questions from the audience and expounded on the future of the jackfruit industry.
Known as the largest tropical fruit in the world, jackfruit or Artocarpus heterophyllus, is cultivated mostly in South and Southeast Asian countries, where it is consumed both as a dessert and as a vegetable. India is currently the biggest producer of jackfruit.
Many producing countries are already developing their jackfruit industry in terms of research and development at all levels of the value chain. There have been substantial improvements in best farm and postharvest management practices, including processing. Even though, information on global jackfruit production and trade is sparse, recent reports have indicated that there have been substantial increases in domestic consumption and exports in producing countries. Efforts to develop and popularize the fruit further have been continuous with emphasis on food safety, quality, taste, longer shelf life and marketable processed products, such as minimal processing, chips, and as a plant-based alternative to meat.
Report
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