Deve Gowda Urges Centre to Set Up National Board for Jackfruit, Tamarind and Jamun

Bangalore Mail Political Bureau

New Delhi | 19 December 2025

Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the creation of a national board for jackfruit, tamarind and jamun, with the goal of promoting value-addition, supporting farmers and expanding market opportunities for these traditional Indian crops. In a communication to the Union Agriculture Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office, Gowda highlighted how jackfruit, tamarind and jamun are nutritious, culturally important and widely grown across many regions of India. He pointed out that despite their strong local presence, these crops lack coordinated institutional support for research, processing and marketing — unlike other commodities such as makhana (fox nut), which now has its own board following central government initiatives.

Deve Gowda noted that in many southern states, jackfruit and tamarind grow abundantly — sometimes along roadsides — but farmers and local youth often lack access to organised processing or markets. He argued that with a dedicated board, value-added products — such as jackfruit chips, tamarind concentrate or jamun juice and preserves — could find broader markets, boosting farmer incomes and job creation, especially in rural areas.
“If a board is formed, the youth will start making value-addition products and they will not move to the cities,” he said in his remarks, underscoring the potential for rural enterprise and decentralised agro-industry development.

Gowda referenced the Makhana Board — created to support fox nut farmers with training, improved seeds and market access — as a model worth replicating for jackfruit, tamarind and jamun. The Makhana Board was announced as part of government plans to strengthen the production and global outreach of this traditional crop.
A board for these additional fruit crops could help in: