Experimental cultivation of Taiwan jackfruit succeeds in Kyaukpadaung

The local farmers from Lae Gwa village in Kyaukpadaung township grew the Taiwan jackfruit on a trial basis. Their cultivation has succeeded, said U Taung Tin, a Taiwan jackfruit grower from Lae Gwa village.
The Taiwan jackfruit has started to blossom the fruit in a three-year period and begin commercialization in the four-year period.
There are seven villages in Kanpetlet village-tract in Kyaukpadaung township. Among them, six villages are being engaged with the agriculture sector. They are growing long-term crops such as India drumstick, kilo guava, unseeded guava, Seintalone mango, Mya Kyauk mango, R2E2 mango, dragon fruit, banana, Taiwan papaya, betel leaf and Santalum flower species.
They have been growing Taiwan jackfruits since April 2017. They bought 120 Taiwan jackfruit nursery plants for K2,000 per plant from PyinOoLwin. The Taiwan jackfruit trees started to blossom in 2019. After the fourth year of growth, the fruits could be picked up and sold in the market, said U Thaung Tin.
After growing a jackfruit tree for five years, the jackfruit tree will yield 20 or 30 fruits per tree. Each fruit weighs seven to 14 visses. The Taiwan fruits are ripe and sold by viss. It is priced at K1,000 per viss. If the fruit is seven visses, it will earn K7,000, and if the fruit is 14 visses, it will earn K14,000. The local growers are urged to cultivate Taiwan jackfruits, he added.
The jackfruit usually yields from March to August. The traders from Pakokku, Meiktila, Nyaung-U, Myingyan, Kyaukpadaung and Popa reached the jackfruits’ farmlands. The jackfruit cultivation cost is not very high, and the fruits can be sold as soon as it is ripe. — Myint Kay Khaing / Ko Htein—KPD)/GNLM