Punnathanam Jathy

Extra-large nut variety—4.5 cm long × 3 cm wide, far exceeding standard sizes. High annual productivity (3000 fruits per mature tree). Organically cultivated, low-maintenance, pest-tolerant. Farmer-led improvement model widely recognized nationally.

Key facts

Figures are indicative, compiled from public agricultural sources (ICAR institutes, State Agricultural Universities, the Spices Board and the National Innovation Foundation) and vary with soil, season and management. Confirm with your local package of practices.

Punnathanam Jathy in detail

Punnathanam Jathy is a farmer-developed extra-large nutmeg variety from Idukki's high ranges, producing notably bigger kernels and mace than standard cultivars while thriving on minimal inputs.

Origin & story

Varkey Thomman, a farmer in Idukki, developed Punnathanam Jathy in 1994 through careful selection from local varieties, using original seed he had brought from Kottayam. The variety was recognised by the National Innovation Foundation in 2015 (8th National Grassroots Innovation Award). His son, Shajan Varghese, has continued propagating the cultivar and selling saplings across districts of Kerala including Idukki, Ernakulam, Kottayam and Trivandrum.

How it grows

Punnathanam Jathy is grown in Idukki's high ranges, where the tropical conditions and well-drained soils of the Western Ghats suit the crop. A full-bearing tree produces around 3,000 fruits a year. The variety is organically cultivated without chemical inputs, tolerates pests well, and needs relatively little maintenance. Propagation is by budding from elite mother trees or by kernel selection; budded trees typically begin fruiting in about three years and reach optimal maturity around ten years.

Quality & character

Nuts measure about 4.5 cm long by 3 cm wide, far larger than conventional varieties, with roughly 50 dry nuts to a kilogram against about 125 for ordinary nutmeg. The mace is dark red and fully covers the seed, and the variety shows comparatively low fruit breakage. A mature tree can yield up to around 20 kg of nutmeg and 4.5 kg of mace a year, with about 250 dry maces making a kilogram. The Indian Institute of Spices Research (Calicut) and Krishi Vigyan Kendra (Idukki) have confirmed its extra-large size, high yield and pest tolerance.

Why it matters to buyers

Punnathanam fetches strong prices thanks to its size and yield. Reported rates are around Rs 2,000/kg for mace and Rs 350/kg for nutmeg, with individual mature trees generating roughly Rs 14,000-16,000 a year. The lower nut count per kilogram (about 50 versus 125) appeals to buyers wanting larger, distinctive kernels. Budded saplings sell for around Rs 900 each, with reported annual demand of roughly 5,000 saplings, indicating steady grower interest for organic, low-input operations. The variety suits value-added processing.

Other mace varieties

• IISR Viswashree
• IISR Keralashree
• Konkan Sugandha
• Konkan Shrimanti
• KAU Puthara
• Malabar Type (Traditional East Indian)
• Keralashree Elite Seedling Landraces
• Bombay Nutmeg Type (Myristica malabarica)
• Hermaphrodite/Monoecious Type (rare)