BAYBAY, Leyte ─ A one-day meeting to develop roll-out plans for jackfruit research and development (R&D) projects was recently held at the Visayas State University (VSU).
Organized by the Visayas Consortium for Agriculture and Resources Program (ViCARP) and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD), the activity laid out the implementation strategies for Jackfruit R&D Projects 5 and 6, respectively, on fruit processing and on the design of communication interventions for the promotion of jackfruit technologies in Eastern Visayas.
During the opening program, Dr. Jose L. Bacusmo, VSU president and the current chair of the Regional Research and Development Coordinating Committee, thanked PCAARRD for its continuous support to the jackfruit industry in Eastern Visayas.
Dr. Jocelyn E. Eusebio, director of PCAARRD’s Crops Research Division, gave a background on PCAARRD-ViCARP Jackfruit R&D Program as well as the rationale of the activity. In addition, the roles and responsibilities along with the technical and financial aspects of the project were presented and discussed during the meeting.
A deliberation on the specific components of Jackfruit Projects 5 and 6 was also conducted.
PCAARRD’s Industry Strategic Plan (ISP) for Jackfruit was also presented and modified to complement Eastern Visayas’ Jackfruit Road Map.
Participating in the meeting were representatives from the Department of Agriculture (DA)-Regional Field Unit 8, DA-Eastern Visayas Integrated Agricultural Research Center, and Department of Trade and Industry-Region 8.