Sweet! Shivamogga farmer turns watermelon into jaggery

Shivamogga: The world is flooded with thoughts of uncertainty considering the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic. Therefore, it can be very difficult for individuals or cooperates to focus much on their dreams and ambitions, but a hotelier-and-agriculturist from Shivamogga district has come out with a “sweet” solution to tide over the crisis.

42-year-old Jayaram, who was running a hotel in Mumbai and was living in the metropolis for 30 years, returned to his village last year during the lockdown. He started cultivating his family land and is now making jaggery from watermelon.

He grew watermelon on his four acres and also another four acres of his friend’s farm, and the traders wanted it for `1 per kg. To prevent the rotting of eight tonnes of the fruit, he decided to prepare jaggery out of watermelon juice.

Explaining the process, he said that juice is extracted from the fruit and filtered twice. The juice is then boiled for four hours or till it becomes thick. Around 75 kg of jaggery can be extracted from one tonne of watermelon.

This year, I grew watermelon on my four acres and also another four acres of my friend’s farm. But traders wanted it for `1 per kg, and I decided to make more jaggery this year.”

Explaining the process, he said that juice is extracted from the fruit and filtered twice. The juice is then boiled for four hours or till it becomes thick. Around 75 kg of jaggery can be extracted from one tonne of watermelon.