Jackfruit – Kerala State official fruit

The Kerala government  declared  Jackfruit as its official fruit  on 21st March-2018 based on a proposal of the Agriculture Department. The state government has already declared Elephant as the state animal, Great Hornbill as the state bird, Kanikonna as the state flower and pearl spot, popularly known as ‘karimeen’ as its state fish.

The jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), also known as jack tree, fenne, jakfruit, or sometimes simply jack or jak is a species of tree in the fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae) native to South India. The jackfruit tree is well suited to tropical lowlands, and its fruit is the largest tree-borne fruit, reaching as much as 35 kg (80 lb) in weight, 90 cm (35 in) in length, and 50 cm (20 in) in diameter. A mature jackfruit tree can produce about 100 to 200 fruits in a year. The jackfruit is a multiple fruit, composed of hundreds to thousands of individual flowers, and it is the fleshy petals that are eaten.

The jackfruit tree is a widely cultivated and popular food item throughout the tropical regions of the world. Jackfruit is also the national fruit of Bangladesh. We can see the most Jackfruit plants in kerala and especially it is the state fruit of the Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu and one of the three auspicious fruits of Tamil Nadu, along with the mango and banana.

The jackfruit has played a significant role in Indian agriculture for centuries. Archeological findings in India have revealed that jackfruit was cultivated in India 3000 to 6000 years ago.It has also been widely cultivated in southeast Asia. Stingless bees such as Tetragonula iridipennis are jackfruit pollinators, and as such, play an important role in jackfruit cultivation.