BAYBAY CITY, Philippines — A two-day Jackfruit FIESTA opened last August 6 at the Visayas State University in this city in Leyte province.
The FIESTA (Farms and Industry Encounters thru Science and Technology Agenda), was spearheaded by the Visayas Consortium for Agriculture and Resources Program and the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Unit 8, to push Eastern Visayas further as the jackfruit capital of the country, and make the industry globally competitive and sustainable.
Francis Rosaroso, DA-8 chief information officer, said the opening day gathered about 150 people from the government and private sectors as well as stakeholders of the jackfruit industry in the region.
Highlights of the two-day activity included the Jackfruit Forum and Roadmap Development Workshop, media conference, product demo, poster and essay writing competition, “pinaka” contest and jingle contest, among others, said Rosaroso.
Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus lam), locally known as “nangka”, is one of the popular fruit species in the Philippines. Its many uses (at least 18 has been recorded so far) and excellent adaptation to a range of growing conditions may have contributed to its popularity.
In Eastern Visayas, production has steadily increased through the years, enabling the region to ship to other places, as well as Cebu and Manila, some 100 to 500 fruits or two to three tons per week.
Eastern Visayas has the best jackfruit variety, the EVIARC Sweet, claimed by scientists as the sweetest jackfruit ever, which grows to about seven meters and produces an average of 35 fruits annually, each weighing about 12 kg, nearly half (42.58 percent) of it edible.
Nearly 3,000 hectares in Eastern Visayas are planted with jackfruit, and already about 15 percent of this area has the EVIARC Sweet variety. The largest farm is a 30-hectare jackfruit plantation in Ormoc City. - THE FREEMAN