Demonstration cum Training on value added products of Kokum [Garcinia indica (Dupetit-Thouars) Choisy]

Kokum is one of the potential under-exploited minor fruit crops, currently gaining much commercial and medicinal importance. Botanically Kokum [Garcinia indica (Dupetit-Thouars) Choisy] belongs to the family Clusiaceae. The tree has originated in southern India, particularly in the Southern Western Ghats (Konkan region) and is in domestication interphase. In Karnataka and Goa, it is common throughout the ghat forests and found in home gardens and forests throughout the south-western coastal region from south Maharashtra upto Kasaragod in Kerala. In order to popularise the crop and its value added products in Kerala, an one day training cum demonstration was organised at ICAR-NBPGR RS, Thrissur for the benefit of the farmers under the MGMG programme. Twenty-one progressive farmers from the selected MGMG villages and other parts of the district participated in the training. Dr. S Priya Devi, Principal Scientist, CCARI, Goa was the resource person for the training in which she demonstrated seven different value added products from kokum. Demonstrations on kokum dry rind recovery (two forms), kokum powder, kokum syrup, kokum squash, kokum ready to serve and kokum seed butter were made and the products were appreciated by the participants.

(Source: Dr. M Latha, Principal Scientist & ICAR- NBPGR, Regional Station Thrissur )