A jackfruit processing center will rise in Abuyog, Leyte, to add value to jackfruit, one of the champion commodities of the Eastern Visayas region.

Jorge Alvero, Jr., chairperson of Abuyog Jackfruit and Tropical Fruits Producers, Inc., the group tasked to manage the project, on Tuesday said the facility will be completed by December 2025 or early January 2026.

“The completion is very timely to support our post-harvest activities early next year. The center is expected to process frozen jackfruit, extending the fruit’s shelf life while preserving its distinctive sweetness and flavor,” Alvero told the Philippine News Agency.

The PHP6-million project funded by the Department of Agriculture (DA) will benefit jackfruit farmers in Abuyog and nearby towns. Key officials led the groundbreaking on July 10 at the New Pilar Community, Tinalian village in Abuyog.

“We will consolidate the produce of our local jackfruit farmers, including those who are not members of our association, for processing inside the center,” Alvero said.

Currently, frozen jackfruit is processed by local farmers in their own houses. Most of their produce are shipped to Cebu while some are sold on roadsides in Abuyog.

Abuyog Jackfruit and Tropical Fruits Producers, Inc., which has been cultivating 48 hectares in Abuyog, is known for producing the Eastern Visayas Integrated Agricultural Research Center (EVIARC) sweet variety of jackfruit.

Jenny Lyn Almeria, DA regional technical director for research and regulations, said in a phone interview on Tuesday that the facility will ensure that fresh jackfruit is available whole year round.

“Jackfruit is a major high-value crop in the region. We have the sweetest variety in the country. The center will become the market outlet for our farm produce. This is an important step toward improving marketability and ensuring year-round availability,” Almeria said.

The EVIARC jackfruit variety is distinctive for its special features such as natural sweetness, thickness of the yellow fruitlet, aromatic ellipsoid shape, and moderate latex content.

Experts evaluated the sweet variety for three years, from 2004 until 2006, using the standards set by the Fruit Crops Technical Working Group of the National Seed Industry Council.

The variety, which bears fruit in three years, is claimed to be the world’s sweetest jackfruit, based on a rating of 25.15 degrees Brix, the international standard for the sugar content of a solution dissolved in water. (PNA)