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Konkan’s Kokam, Nachni, cashew and mango
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Monday, 01 April, 2013, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Nilesh Lele
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fiogf49gjkf0d The Konkan region is the coastal belt of Maharashtra. It receives heavy monsoon rains but still faces paucity of water during the summer months. Hence it is very important to understand the current farming and processing scenario and come up with value-added food products. The main crops in Konkan region are rice, nachni (finger millet), mango, cashew, coconut, jackfruit, beetle nut, and Kokam.
Kokam
This has huge untapped potential. Kokam is a purple berry belonging to the mangosteen family. Its seeds, bark, root, juice, pulp; all have a myriad of health benefits. Kokam helps combat body heat and improves digestion. Many inhabitants of the Konkan region consume 1 glass of the juice everyday. The process to manufacture Kokam juice is simple and has now been standardised. Ripe Kokam fruits are cleaned and cut into 2 pieces; the seeds at the centre are removed. These Kokam pieces along with sugar are kept in transparent glass jars in sunlight for around 8-10 days. As sugar dissolves juice is naturally extracted from fruits and over a period of time syrup is formed. This syrup is filtered and some preservatives are added to increase the shelf life up to 4 months. The storage is generally in plastic or glass bottles. Seeds and shells of fruit are sold to oil extractors and other processors who make products for curry making. From 100 kg of Kokam fruits around 35 lire of syrup is obtained along with around 15 kg of seeds and shells. Rest is a waste or process loss.
If awareness about Kokam’s benefits can be increased there is huge scope for selling Kokam syrup / juice throughout India and abroad.
Nachni (finger millet)
Finger millet is grown in the Konkan region and in state of Karnataka. It has high nutritional value and contains amino acid methionine, which is lacking in the diets of hundreds of millions of the poor who live on starchy staples such as rice or maize. Value-added products can be manufactured from Nachni. Some work has been done on flavored milk of Nachni. But the need is to come up with longer shelf life drinks and at the same time increase awareness about health benefits of Nachni. In the US, the gluten-free market is over $4 billion and is growing at a fast rate. One research has showed that people with gluten intolerance determine where as a group they eat. India is also seeing growing cases of gluten allergies and processors need to think ahead of their competitors and come up with products that will cater to this niche market.
Quinoa
It is a grain-like crop grown in tropical conditions in Latin American countries. The nutrient composition is very good compared with common cereals. Quinoa seeds contain essential amino acids like lysine and good quantities of calcium, phosphorus, and iron. Quinoa seeds are in general cooked the same way as rice and can be used in a wide range of dishes. Quinoa leaves are also eaten as a leafy vegetable. Quinoa has become increasingly popular in the United States, Europe, China and Japan where the crop is not typically grown, increasing crop value. From 2006 to today, prices of Quinoa have more than tripled and fetch around $3,115 per ton with some varieties selling as high as $8,000 per ton. This compares with wheat prices of about $340 per ton. The higher price fetched by Quinoa brings livable income for farmers. Quinoa farming should be encouraged in India for domestic consumption as well as for export purpose (picture of red Quinoa below).
Cashew Nuts
It is an important crop of the Konkan region and along with mango, gives employment to over 70% of the population of the Konkan region. In India, the nut of the tree is the most important revenue generating part. However the fruit can also be used to make jams as has been done extensively in countries such as Brazil. The nut in raw state is covered by a shell filled with cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL); which has industrial use in manufacture of resin. Currently in India, cashew nut extraction is manually done by small processors. The current processing method does not allow for the collection of cashew nut shell liquid; which can act as a value-add and increase the incomes of farmers and processors. The cashew apple is a good source of Vitamin C and contains 5 times more Vitamin C than an orange. It is not very commonly consumed because of its astringent taste. However if this taste can be eliminated it can have various applications in jams, chutneys etc. More research needs to be conducted to make the cashew apple into a value-add.
Mango
India produces 54% of world’s mangoes and hence mangoes play an important role in India’s trade with other countries. The fruit is seasonal and is generally harvested in the months of April-May. The benefits and potential of mango fruit is well documented. However value-add can be achieved by defocussing on waste materials from processing. Peels of some varieties of mangoes can provide a 15.7% yield of pectin. Pectin is used as a gelling agent in jams and jellies. It also finds application in medicines, and as a sorbability in fruit juices and milk drinks. The mango seed kernel that is edible in nature is a rich source of carbohydrates, protein and fat. The starch has application in food industry and can also used in various sweetmeats.
Challenges in testing
As per new FSSA Rules and Regulations, continuous testing and monitoring of raw materials, finished products needs to be carried out. There is a lack of awareness and need for educating food processors in the Konkan region. Some use refractometer to determine sugar content. Acidity levels are calculated using titration, which requires standard solutions and proper knowledge of titration. Therefore there is a need for digital equipment especially for determination of pH, salt %, water testing (hardness) etc. Some processors also face a problem with quality of preservatives; many a times sub-standard preservatives are supplied; hence an easy way to test quality of preservatives is essential. Equipment to test the colour and quality of fruit, determination of fruit content of the products is also the need of the hour.
Thus various value-adds can be created from products and by-products of agriculture produce of the Konkan region. What is required is assistance in terms of technology, ideas and funding to uplift the region and bring them to parity with richer areas of Maharashtra.
(The writer is a director with Eel Ad visors and
advises food processors on various issues related to finance,
marketing, packaging and regulatory requirements)
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