Starter Kit. Idea 147 of 500. Cluster 6
Jackfruit as a meat substitute for the vegan markets of Europe, canned and frozen
The mechanism, from the book
Dilmah says it earns over 3 times the national average price for tea, because it does its own blending, branding and packing. The proof has been sitting inside the industry all along.
The first step
Can or freeze a trial batch of young jackfruit in brine, prepared the way vegan cooks use it abroad, and have a food lab check its shelf life. Send samples to two vegan restaurants and one plant-based food importer in Europe, and ask what price, pack size and certification they need. An importer's written specification is worth more than any number of compliments.
- Who pays first
- A plant-based food importer in Europe that wants jackfruit from a named origin with a steady supply.
- What leaves today
- Much of the jackfruit crop falls and rots in season here, while vegan kitchens in Europe need a steady, packed supply.
Ask first
- Sri Lanka Standards Institution. Ask what standard canned or frozen jackfruit for export should meet.
- Sri Lanka Export Development Board. Ask which buyers in Europe they know for plant-based foods.
Check before you spend
That canning or freezing is done safely, that labels meet European rules, and what certificates vegan buyers expect.
Find out these three numbers
- What do European shops pay for a pack of jackfruit?
- How much jackfruit can be bought each season?
- What does canning cost per tin?
The test
Does it keep value that now leaves the island, or build the proof that lets somebody else do so?
From the appendix of Why Not Sri Lanka? by Dr Maheshika Halbeisen. The idea and the mechanism are the book's; this kit was written for the site.