Western Ghats Kokum Foundation - Organic Farming Association of ...

Complex for Goa, University for Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad and at Indian Institute of
Spices Research, Kozhikode (Calicut), Kerala.
Well known these tangy, Green/Reddish berries, Kokum fruit consist of 3 major parts:
• The Kokum Pericarp – which is the rind or peel and contains the highest level of
xanthones.
• The pulp – which is the fruit and is known for being one of the tastiest fruits in the
world.
• The seeds – found within the white pulp.
Properties: The Kokum rind is used widely in refreshing drinks and curries. The
fruit is anthelminthic, cardio tonic, useful against piles, dysentery and is a heart tonic.
Hydroxyl Citric Acid (HCA) extracted from Kokum is a fat-reducing medicine used against
obesity and is available in the form of tablets in the market. The dry rind (Amsul) is mainly
used for garnishing and is a good substitute of tamarind. The fruit can also be used for the
manufacture of wine and liquor and could be a good substitute of grapes in the wine
industry. The anthocyanin pigments obtained from it are used as natural colouring agents
for food preservation. The edible fat 'Kokum butter' obtained from the seed kernels is used
in the manufacture of soaps, candles ointments and pharmaceutical preparation especially
in skin care products due to its ability to soften the skin and heal ulcers and also fissures on
lips, hands and feet. It reduces the degradation of skin cells and restores elasticity.
The National Medicinal Plant Board has identified 'Kokum' as one of the 32
prioritized species of plants for promotion and development. Inspite of its many virtues, no
systematic effort has been reported to popularize the fruit to harness its commercial
potentials till the 1st National Seminar on Kokum was organized in 2001, at Sindhudurg.
The need of the hour is to give pointed focus to every detailed development of the fruit with
regard to its production, processing and marketing.
The challenges for development of Kokum:
• Unorganized and scattered plantation leading to poor collection of fruit.
• Only 20% of the present production is processed and the rest is wasted.
• Harvesting time is extremely limited and coincides with the rainy season.
• Absence of any post harvest technology for drying of rind, cutting of fruits or
preparation of Kokum drink leading to poor quality product.
• Lack of generic promotion of Kokum about its high medicinal value.
• Lack of awareness about its medicinal virtues.
• Very narrow band of market
• Absence of a specific Nodal department - till recently there was no nodal department of
the state government, for the promotion of this crop. By doing this, a road map for the
development of Kokum can be constructed by working towards the following points:
-Awareness creation among farmers, processors and consumers about its
economic and medicinal value.
-Developing pre- and post- harvest techniques.
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Resource Book on Kokum (Garcinia indica Choisy)
Western Ghats Kokum Foundation, Panaji - Goa