PANJIM: Goa State Biodiversity Board (GSBB) has signed Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-CCARI) for commercialisation of the process of manufacturing of Nutmeg Pericarp Taffy.
The MoA was signed by Dr E Chakurkar, Director (A), ICAR-CCARI and Dr Pradip Sarmokadam, Member Secretary, GSBB, Goa, in presence of Dr A Desai, Principal Scientist (Horticulture) involved in developing this technology, officials from GSBB and staff members of ICAR-CCARI, Goa.
Dr Chakurkar congratulated the GSBB for entering into the MoA and stressed the need for commercial utilisation and transfer of prospective technologies for the benefit of farmers and agri-entrepreneurs in Goa. Dr Sarmokadam thanked ICAR-CCARI, Goa and expressed that GSBB would like to work with ICAR-CCARI for continued collaborative activities to promote conserving biodiversity through sustainable use of biological resources of the State. He also apprised that a new project has been initiated by GSBB about the conservation of biodiversity through livelihood intervention with the brand name ‘GoVan’ to enhance villagers’ income, to create employment opportunities, thereby conserving local bio resources.
Nutmeg fruit has about 80-85% of pericarp (outer cover of nutmeg fruit) and high yielding nutmeg varieties produce up to 100 kg of fresh pericarp per tree. The present practice is collecting the nutmeg seeds and mace and generally discarding the pericarp in the field for rotting. But, this technology helps in effective utilisation of pericarp, otherwise discarded, by preparing the Nutmeg Taffy, a value-added food product, in a commercially feasible manner.
