From a backyard staple to a rising agricultural star.
With rising demand for healthy, versatile, and value-added agricultural products, jackfruit is gaining new momentum as a high-value crop in the Philippines.
The spotlight was firmly on this tropical fruit during the opening of the 1st Regional Jackfruit Summit at the Leyte Academic Center in Palo, Leyte—a joint initiative led by the Department of Agriculture (DA) Region VIII, in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Region VIII.
At the center of the summit is the celebrated EVIARC Sweet—developed by the Eastern Visayas Integrated Agricultural Research Center and officially recognized as the sweetest jackfruit variety in the country, with a recorded sweetness level of 25.15 °Brix. For perspective, average jackfruit varieties range between 15 to 20 °Brix, placing EVIARC Sweet significantly above the norm in terms of taste and market appeal.
But beyond flavor, the EVIARC Sweet represents economic potential for Eastern Visayas.
Its thick arils, longer shelf life, and superior eating quality make it highly suitable not only for fresh consumption but also for processing into jams, chips, candies, pastes, and frozen goods.
These value-added products offer high profit margins and can open export markets, particularly in countries with growing plant-based consumer bases.
Dr. John Glenn D. Ocaña, Regional Director of DOST VIII, emphasized that science and innovation must reach the grassroots:
“It’s not enough for innovation to stay in laboratories. We must ensure that our farmers, women’s groups, youth cooperatives, and entrepreneurs are empowered to use these technologies for livelihood and community development.”
The summit featured technology demonstrations, learning sessions, and exhibits of both fresh and processed jackfruit products.
More importantly, it facilitates dialogue between stakeholders—from farmers to investors—on scaling production, improving post-harvest practices, and strengthening market linkages.
By capitalizing on the strengths of EVIARC Sweet and supporting it through research, technology transfer, and policy, Eastern Visayas is poised to become a leader in jackfruit innovation—contributing not only to food security, but also to inclusive rural development and sustainable agriculture.
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