Blackberries in India: Demand for Ayurvedic jamun drives interest from farmers

Pune: Increasing demand for jamun (Indian blackberry) due to its Ayurvedic medicinal properties has seen its market value rise significantly, with high-quality jamun selling for Rs 250-600 per kilogram.

This surge in demand has led farmers in Ambegaon district to switch to jamun cultivation. One such success story is Uttam Devaram Sukre of Khadakwadi, who has planted 100 jamun trees on one acre of land and has seen impressive results. Bahadri variety of jamun commands a high price in the market.

Jamun is well known for its medicinal properties and benefits against various ailments, especially diabetes. Due to this, its demand is on the rise not only in India but also internationally. Farmers are becoming more and more interested in Jamun cultivation due to these benefits.

Five years ago, Uttam Sukre planted 100 Bahadri jamun saplings, spaced 20 feet apart, on an acre of land in the Vadadrawasti hills, at a price of Rs 500 per sapling. He initially cultivated them with a mix of bajra, jowar and vegetables until the trees matured.

This year is the start of jamun production, with each tree producing 25-30 kg of fruit. Currently, jamun is selling for Rs 150-200 per kg in the local market.

Shukre is hopeful of a better yield next year with each tree producing up to 100 kg of jamun. He has also planted 150 saplings of a newly developed white jamun variety across 25 guntas of land which are expected to bear fruit next year.

“If jamun trees are properly maintained and fertilised at the right time, after five to six years, a yield of 100 to 200 kg per tree can be obtained. Depending on the size and quality of the fruit, the market price ranges from Rs 250 to Rs 600 per kg.”

“Even at the lowest market price, we can earn Rs 15,000-20,000 per tree, making jamun cultivation very profitable,” explains Sampat Kochimbre, a jamun farmer from Srigonda.

Rising market demand and big profits have made jamun cultivation an attractive and profitable venture for farmers in the region. “Uttam Devaram Sukre has successfully planted 100 jamun trees in one acre, proving the feasibility of jamun cultivation,” said a local agriculture expert.