Harvest is plenty, labourers few: This year, bumper jackfruit crop stays on tall trees

PANAJI: A fairly good jackfruit crop this season has brought cheer to farmers, as the jumbo fruit is fetching a price worth its value. Lack of harvesters and a fruit rot, however, has disappointed the owners and consumers alike.
Goa has a large jackfruit tree population, especially in midland and hinterland talukas. A good harvest has increased its visibility by the roadside and the market place.But scores of fruits can still be seen rotting on trees, as climbers to pluck it are too few or the wages for the high-risk job are too high for trade economics.
"Till recent past, harvesting was not a problem. Even I would climb trees and we would tie a rope around the fruit and send it down," Madhu Gaonkar, a farmer from Marcela, said.
With a change in lifestyle and occupations, even coconut farmers faced the same challenge before tree-climbing devices bailed them out. For jackfruit harvesting, there is more than one problem.
Maturing of the fruit is at different stages and staggered harvesting becomes unviable for farmers. Some trees jut out tall with multiple branches and fruits are inaccessible to bamboo poles, which help low-level plucking.
"Each trip up the tree may be charged up to Rs 500 for a short while, depending on the climber's fancy," Gaonkar said.
The fruit is selling reasonably well, though, as it's a good alternative for some, after mango faded out. The biggest fruit can be eaten as a snack, which may be a meal for some.