A Farmer Preserved a Rare Jackfruit, How Did It Become a ₹1.15-Crore Opportunity?

For more than two decades, farmers in Tumakuru, Karnataka, preserved two unusual jackfruit trees on their farms. Their fruits had coppery-red flesh and distinctive qualities. What began as farmer-led conservation later became a scientific and commercial project involving ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research.

The two farmers were S. S. Paramesha and Shankariah. ICAR-IIHR identified their trees as promising farmer selections and evaluated them for fruit characteristics and nutritional compounds. The varieties were later named Siddu and Shankara, creating a new opportunity around planting material.

How did the varieties stand out?

Siddu jackfruit produces around 25 to 30 flakes per fruit. ICAR reports that its flakes have a coppery-red colour, firm texture and sweet taste. The variety also showed carotenoid and lycopene levels that were higher than those recorded in some local jackfruit types.

Shankara also produces coppery-red flakes, with around 50 to 60 flakes reported per fruit. ICAR says the selection contains higher levels of carotenoids, lycopene and phenolic compounds compared with local types evaluated during the institute’s work.

The important point is that neither variety began as a laboratory creation. Farmers had selected and maintained the trees themselves. ICAR-IIHR later evaluated and documented those farmer selections, showing how local knowledge can help researchers identify useful genetic resources.

Paramesha and Shankariah had conserved their respective trees for more than 20 years. Their experience shows why unusual trees should not be removed simply because they differ from common commercial varieties. Some farmer-maintained plants may contain characteristics worth evaluating scientifically.

ICAR-IIHR developed a commercialization model that formally recognised the two farmers as custodians of genetic diversity. The institute helped create awareness around the varieties and trained the farmers in propagation techniques so they could produce planting material.

The model also included a revenue-sharing arrangement. According to ICAR, 75% of income from planting-material sales goes to the farmers, while 25% goes to ICAR-IIHR. This arrangement links conservation directly with an income opportunity for the farmers.

The financial results were significant. ICAR reports that the farmer associated with Siddu earned ₹1.15 crore, while the Shankara custodian earned ₹8.25 lakh. The institute also reports benefit-sharing payouts of ₹49.18 lakh for Siddu and ₹19.54 lakh for Shankara.

The contrast with their earlier earnings is notable. ICAR says the farmers previously earned only about ₹8,000 and ₹5,000 annually from their respective jackfruit trees. The planting-material enterprise changed the economic value of preserving those trees.

What role did legal protection play?

Both Siddu and Shankara were registered under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority in 2023. Registration gave formal recognition to the farmer varieties and strengthened the legal framework around their ownership and future commercial use.

This is important for farmers who maintain unusual crop varieties. Registration under the PPV&FRA framework can recognise farmers’ contributions to conserving and developing plant genetic resources. It also provides a mechanism for protecting registered varieties and associated farmer rights.

The story also shows that conservation does not necessarily mean keeping a variety locked away from the market. When a farmer variety has useful characteristics, scientific evaluation and proper protection can potentially turn that genetic resource into planting material and new economic opportunities.

For farmers, this does not mean every unusual tree will become commercially valuable. The varieties need evaluation for yield, quality, adaptation, market demand and propagation. Scientific validation is important before farmers invest time and money in multiplying a particular plant.

Can other farmers follow this model?

Another farmer in Karnataka, K. S. Ashok Kumar of Doddaballapur, adopted Siddu and Shankara on 10 acres of dryland. ICAR reports yields of 10.5 tonnes for Siddu and 9.87 tonnes for Shankara, with reported net annual returns of ₹7.90 lakh per acre.

Ashok Kumar also developed value-added products from jackfruit, including halwa, payasam, biryani and other preparations. This created another income route beyond selling fresh fruit and shows how a distinctive variety can support several parts of a farm business.

Farmers who maintain unusual fruit trees can begin by documenting them. Photographs, fruit characteristics, flowering and harvesting periods, yield, seed or planting material and local names can provide useful information for agricultural scientists and horticulture departments.

The bigger lesson from Siddu and Shankara is that crop diversity can have an economic value when it is identified, protected and managed properly. Farmer knowledge provided the starting point, while scientific evaluation and a revenue-sharing model helped develop the opportunity.

For farmers, conserving a distinctive crop does not guarantee a large income. But documenting valuable local varieties can help prevent useful genetic resources from disappearing. When researchers validate their qualities and suitable markets exist, those varieties may offer farmers another route to earn from their land and knowledge.