A new jackfruit variety promoted by the Bureau of Agricultural Research has raised production of the tropical fruit in a fifth-class town in Leyte province.
BAR said a P1.28-million project, promoting the use of EVIARC Sweet, the sweetest known jackfruit variety, increased the yield of farmers in Mahaplag, Leyte by 82 percent. The variety was developed by Eastern Visayas Integrated Agricultural Research Center, the research arm of the Agriculture Department’s regional field unit in Region 8.
The BAR said from an average yield of 8.45 metric tons per hectare, jackfruit production in Mahaplag climbed to 15.30 MT per hectare using EVIARC Sweet.
The BAR project also expanded the area for jackfruit production by 12 hectares in Mahaplag.
“Jackfruit is a flagship project in Leyte. We want to help the province focus on crops that can make a dent in the lives of farmers and farming entrepreneurs in poor communities,” said BAR director Nicomedes Eleazar.
The agency said the higher yield in jackfruit production raised the income of farmers from P77,000 to P307,800 per hectare.
The project also involved training of farmers, which included pruning, correct timing of fruit bagging and use of a biological agent Metarhizium anisopliae as organic pesticide to control fruit fly and fruit borer.
The BAR project enabled yield to increase through an integrated nutrient management and establishment of plant nursery.
Jackfruit, also known as langka, has significant market potential for processing, similar to the national fruit mango. It is processed into dried jackfruit, jackfruit pastillas, tart and jelly.
“Exotic fruits are in demand during Christmas which is a bright prospect for our fruits. In markets abroad, most of the tropical fruits sold are from Thailand and Vietnam. These command a high price,” said Regional Integrated Agricultural Research Council manager and research chief Elvira Torres.
“In terms of processing, the volume of fresh fruits that can be absorbed will be increased. When a shared processing facility is established, it can already absorb the expected oversupply of fresh fruits foreseen by 2015,” said Torres.
Leyte’s jackfruit products had joined some global trade fairs, including the Asian Seed Congress in Thailand.
“Based on our observation, the potential to market EVIARC Sweet, compared to those from Thailand or Vietnam, is good particularly for the vacuum fried jackfruit. The golden yellow color of the pulp is very natural. Its sweetness is already acceptable, and there’s no need to use sweetener,” said Torres.
Source: Manila Standard Today