Mangalore: Tender jackfruits start arriving from Piriyapatna

The Hindu

• Consignments start arriving from Piriyapatna after a three-month break

 

Mangalore, 22 September 2011: If the mention of Halasina Gujje (tender jackfruit) kindles your taste buds, chances are that you get nostalgic about the delicacies you relished in May last. That was the time when the gujje season ended. Normally you would have to wait till January for a new season to start. But in recent years, consignments of the vegetable start coming from Piriyapatna from September. So, go on, and make that delicious gujje sambar and those fried items from it, right away.

 

NEW ARRIVALS: Mahesh Sharma, a merchant, with tender jack fruits, which arrived from Piriyapatna to Central Market in Mangalore on Wednesday.

 

Tender jackfruits are back at the city’s Central Market now after a gap of three months. Their fresh arrival season started on Wednesday with M. Mahesh Sharma, a wholesale merchant at the market, getting the first consignment of 300 kg ‘gujjes’ from Piriyapatna near Mysore.

 

According to him, the whole consignment was sold a few hours after its arrival at 6 a.m.

 

Ask merchants at the Central Market for those tender ‘gujjes’ now. Many would guide you to Mr. Sharma as they said he was the only wholesale merchant who got it to the market from Piriyapatna.

 

“Local tender jackfruits arrive from January to May,” Mr. Sharma, told The Hindu . “Supply from Piriyapatna begins in September and lasts till February,” he said.

 

David D’Souza, another merchant, said that except for three months — between June and August — the Central Market supplied tender jackfruits to consumers for nine months.

 

A large number of jackfruit trees in Bala, Kalavaru, Kuttettur and Permude of Mangalore taluk were cut when a petrochemical major set up its industry and associated facilities. Major supplies from these villages were suddenly hit a decade ago.

 

Mr. Sharma alleged that pollution from this industry had resulted in delay in the flowering of jackfruit . He said that his allegation was based on his 20-year experience in the business.

 

He said that 10 years ago the market was getting local tender jackfruits from villages surrounding the industry in October. Now they were supplied in January because of delayed flowering.

 

The local halasina gujjes were supplied from Bajpe, Padubidri, Talapady and Manjeshwar in Kerala.

 

The merchant said the key consumers of tender jackfruit were hotels, caterers, and Gowda Saraswat Brahmins.

 

Price

 

The “gujjes” from Piriyapatna cost Rs. 40 a kg on Wednesday. Its price had come down up to Rs. 5 a kg in February. The prices of local “gujjes” when they arrived in market varied between Rs. 30 a kg and Rs. 5 a kg, he said.

 

Mr. Sharma said that his order for “gujjes” from Piriyapatna varied between 500 kg a day to 2,000 kg a day depending on demand during festivals.