MULTAN: Every summer, thousands of jamun trees across South Punjab bear abundant fruit, but much of the harvest never reaches consumers and instead falls to the ground and goes to waste. From Multan and Khanewal to villages around Nawabpur, jamun remains one of the region's most overlooked fruits despite its nutritional and medicinal benefits.
Farmers Struggle with Unsold Harvest
A mango orchard owner, Muhammad Sadaqat, who has more than 100 jamun trees, said most of the fruit is consumed at home or shared with relatives, while the remainder perishes because there is no established market for the fruit in the area. “We have no proper channels to sell jamun. The fruit is highly nutritious, but people don’t buy it like mangoes or citrus,” he said.
According to local agricultural experts, South Punjab produces thousands of tons of jamun annually, yet less than 30% reaches consumers. The rest rots on the ground or is eaten by animals. The lack of cold storage facilities and processing units further exacerbates the waste.
Nutritional and Medicinal Value Ignored
Jamun (Syzygium cumini) is rich in iron, vitamin C, and antioxidants, and is traditionally used to manage diabetes and digestive issues. Despite these benefits, it remains a minor crop with limited commercial interest. Dr. Aslam Khan, a nutritionist at Multan's Nishtar Hospital, said, “Jamun has immense health benefits, but public awareness is low. If marketed properly, it could become a profitable crop for farmers.”
Farmers like Sadaqat are urging the government to establish collection centers and promote value-added products such as jamun juice, powder, and seed extracts. Without intervention, the annual waste of this nutritious fruit is likely to continue.
