In the first stage 75,000 jackfruit will be planted in state land. The Command Agro Unit of the Air Force is producing budded jackfruit plants.
The jackfruit saplings will be given to 27 air force camps to distribute the saplings to nearby schools and government agencies with land.
Lands coming under the Department Railway, Education, Higher Education, Prisons Department, Urban Development Authority (UDA), and Land Reform Commission (LRC) will be planted with jack saplings.
“We can plant a good variety of a single plantations only for exports,” Command Agro Unit of Sri Lanka Air Force Katunayake, Eranda Gunawardene, who is commanding the unit, said.
“We can make monocultural lands, as there is a huge demand for jackfruit in foreign countries, where Sri Lanka exports 20 metric tons of jackfruit monthly.”
Varieties including rose jackfruit (rosa waraka) and fatheralone breeds have a strong demand in foreign markets, he said.
Sri Lanka is already exporting about 20 metric tonnes of jackfruit a month, Air Commodore Gunawardene said.
Jackfruit yield per acre is very high compared to some other crops.
“When compared to paddy agriculture, a jackfruit tree can harvest half of an acre of paddy,” Gunawardene said.
“It is particularly cost-effective because only a small amount of room is needed for one plant. And from a single harvest, we may produce a huge variety of foods.”
President Ranil Wickremesinghe wants to plant three million jack trees by 2027 to improve food security.
