Jackfruit is suitable for Leyte and Samar islands
Jackfruit ( Artocarpus heterophyllus ) is now an important crop in Leyte and Samar islands or Eastern Visayas (Region 8) in the Philippines. In fact, the Department of Agriculture (Region 8) and the Visayas Consortium for Agriculture and Resources Program (ViCARP) based at VSU have made it a priority crop for the region. Consequently, more studies are now being conducted by research centers and universities to improve jackfruit productivity and to develop jackfruit-based food products. A research funded by the Bureau of Agricultural Research (Manila) from 2000 to 2003 titled "Characterizing biophysical environments for research prioritization and agricultural production in Region 8 (VB Asio, BB Dargantes, PP Garcia, K Israel)" produced the first solid scientific evidence that jackfruit is generally suitable for the region based on climate, geology, topography, land use, and soil factors. Among the significant outputs of this research were the suitability maps developed using