The latest issue of "Tropical Fruit News" (June 2000, published by
the RFCI - Rare Fruit Council Int'l., Miami, Florida) has 2 articles
on
jakfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus).

One describes a *skinless* jakfruit from Indonesia. Most jakfruit
have a thick skin/husk. Due to the lack of a skin, this jakfruit
cannot be left to ripen on the tree (as it would be eaten by
insects before a human could eat it). Frank Sekiya of
Walmanalo, Hawaii collected seeds and has seedlings (which
might not be true to the parent form). There is a photo in
the magazine of the skinless jakfruit - rather strange
looking indeed!  :-)

A second article describes the jakfruit breeding program underway
at Fairchild Tropical Garden in Miami, Florida. Superior strains
of jakfruit are being cross-bred to develop cultivars with
characteristics that are desirable to home growers and commercial
growers as well.

PS the RFCI has a new website under development but it is not open
yet.

Tom Billings
http://www.beyondveg.com