The smell of jackfruit wafts in the air as one drives through Panruti in Cuddalore district of north Tamil Nadu. The fruit takes the pride of place at every market and roadside stall in Panruti, with its heady aroma wafting from every home.
Panruti is home to the largest area under jackfruit cultivation in the State; the fruit is grown on over 800 hectares in the district. It is also supposedly the only place in India where jackfruit is grown as a monocrop (a single crop throughout the year). Each tree yields around 150-250 fruits per season. Panruti has an annual production capacity of 45,000 metric tonnes to 50,000 metric tonnes.
The State fruit of Tamil Nadu has an age-old connection with Panruti. According to a report in the Gazetteer of South Arcot published in 1906, the high red land of Panruti taluk traded in the cashew and jackfruit enormously and improved the region’s economic value.
