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Farm and Forestry
Production and Marketing Prole for
Breadfruit
(Artocarpus altilis)
By Diane Ragone
Specialty Crops for Pacic Island Agroforestry (http://agroforestry.net/scps)
Farm and Forestry Production and Marketing Prole for Breadfruit by Diane Ragone 2
USES AND PRODUCTS
Breadfruit produces abundant, nutritious fruit (i.e., high
in carbohydrates and a good source of ber, vitamins, and
minerals) that is typically cooked and consumed as a starchy
staple when rm and mature. Ripe fruit can be eaten raw
or cooked, processed into chips and other snacks, dried
into our or starch, and minimally processed or frozen.
Breadfruit our can be partially substituted for wheat our
in many bread, pastry, and snack products. Seeds, cooked
in the fruit and eaten throughout the Pacic islands—but
rarely in Polynesia—are high in protein, relatively low in fat
and a good source of vitamins and minerals. Breadnut seeds
tend to be larger and sweeter than breadfruit seeds and
can be roasted or boiled. In Ghana, breadfruit and bread-
nut seeds have been made into nutritious baby food. In the
Philippines, immature fruit is sliced, cooked, and eaten as a
vegetable.
Breadfruit is a cultural icon in the Pacic. All parts are used
medicinally, especially the latex, leaf tips, and inner bark.
e wood is lightweight, exible, and may resist termites. It
is used for buildings and small canoes. e attractive wood
is easily carved into statues, bowls, and other objects. Older,
less productive trees are utilized as rewood throughout
the region. e inner bark is used to make bark cloth (tapa,
siapo), but this formerly widespread custom is now only
practiced in the Marquesas. Large, exible leaves are used to
wrap foods for cooking in earth ovens. e sticky white latex
is used as a chewing gum and adhesive and was formerly
widely used to caulk canoes and as birdlime (to catch birds).
Dried male owers can be burned to repel mosquitoes and
other ying insects.
ENVIRONMENTAL PREFERENCES
Climate
Breadfruit is adaptable to many ecological conditions. e
latitudinal limits are approximately 17°N and 17°S, but mar-
itime climates extend that range to the Tropics of Cancer
and Capricorn.
Soils
Breadfruit prefers deep, fertile, well drained soils, although
some varieties are adapted to the shallow sandy soils of coral
atolls. It prefers light and medium, freely draining soils with
pH 6.1–7.4 and tolerates saline and coralline atoll soils.
NAMES
Preferred scientic name
Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg
Family
Moraceae (mulberry family)
Many village roads in Samoa are lined with breadfruit trees growing in home gardens.
© Craig Elevitch
Specialty Crops for Pacic Island Agroforestry (http://agroforestry.net/scps) 3
Common names
Pacic islands
beta (Vanuatu)
bia, bulo, nimbalu (Solomon Islands)
breadfruit (English)
kapiak (Papua New Guinea)
kuru (Cook Islands)
meduu (Palau)
mei, mai (Federated States of Micronesia [FSM], Kiribati,
Marshalls, Marquesas, Tonga, Tuvalu)
mos (Kosrae)
‘ulu (Hawai‘i, Samoa, Rotuma, Tuvalu)
‘uru (Society Islands)
uto, buco (Fiji)
Other regions
árbol a pan (Spanish)
brotfruchtbaum (German)
fruta pão (Portuguese)
khanun-sampalor, sa-ke (ai)
khnaôr sâmloo, sakéé (Khmer)
kulur, kuror, sukun (Indonesia)
l’arbre à pan (French)
laba pen, vèritab (Haiti, Creole)
mshelisheli (Swahili)
rata del (Sri Lanka)
rimas (Philippines)
sake (Vietnamese)
BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION
Breadfruit is an attractive evergreen tree, typically 12–15 m
(40–50) tall with a 0.3–1 m (1–3.2) diameter trunk, of-
ten with buttress roots. Milky white latex is present in all
parts of the tree. Male and female owers occur on the same
tree. Male inorescence is an elongated club-shape, up to
5 cm (2 in) in diameter and 45 cm (18 in) long, comprised
of thousands of tiny owers attached to a central spongy
core. e tree is deciduous. Female inorescence is more
rounded and consists of 1,500–2,000 reduced owers at-
tached to a spongy core. Flowers fuse together and develop
into the skin and eshy, edible portion of the fruit. Large
glossy dark-green leaves are alternate, ranging from almost
entire to deeply dissected, with up to six pairs of lobes and
a large apical tip. Fruit are usually round, oval, or oblong,
weighing 0.25–5 kg (0.5–11 lb). Skin is greenish-yellow, pat-
terned with hexagonal markings, and has a smooth, bumpy,
spiny, or spiky surface. Flesh is creamy white or pale yellow
and contains none to many seeds, depending on the variety.
Seeds are brown, typically shiny, rounded or obovoid, irreg-
ularly compressed, 0.5–2 cm (0.2–0.8 in) thick, and embed-
ded in the pulp. Seeds germinate immediately and cannot be
dried or stored.
Elevation, rainfall, and temperature
Elevation range 0–1,500 m (0–5,100); best be-
low 600–650 m (2,000–2,160).
Mean annual rainfall
1,500–3,000 mm (60–120 in), but
trees can yield regularly on Pacic
atolls that receive 1,000 mm (40
in).
Rainfall pattern It prefers climates with bimodal
rainfall.
Dry season duration (consecutive
months with <40 mm [1.6 in]
rainfall)
3–6 months (specic months vary
depending on variety).
Mean annual temperature 15–40°C (59–104°F); best at
21–32°C (70–90°F).
Mean maximum temperature of
hottest month 32–38°C (90–100°F).
Mean minimum temperature of
coldest month 16–18°C (61–64°F).
Minimum temperature tolerated
5–10°C (41–50°F). At low tem-
peratures, it may drop leaves and
shoots, not yield fruit, and die
back.
Female (horizontal) and male (vertical) inorescences.
Breadfruit comes in many shapes, sizes, colors, and textures.
Farm and Forestry Production and Marketing Prole for Breadfruit by Diane Ragone 4
DISTRIBUTION
e wild, seeded, ancestor of breadfruit, Artocarpus camansi
Blanco, or breadnut, is native to New Guinea, and possibly
the Moluccas (Indonesia) and the Philippines. Breadfruit,
both seeded and seedless forms, does not naturally occur in
the Pacic islands. is species was rst domesticated in the
western Pacic and spread by humans throughout the region
beginning 3,000 years ago. Breadfruit is found throughout
the tropics and cultivated on most Pacic islands. In the late
1700s, several seedless Polynesian breadfruit varieties and
breadnut from New Guinea were introduced to the Carib-
bean. ese were subsequently distributed throughout the
Caribbean to Central and South America, Africa, India,
Southeast Asia, Madagascar, the Maldives, the Seychelles,
Indonesia, Sri Lanka, northern Australia, and south Flori-
da. In recent years, some breadnut trees have been planted
in French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Palau, Pohnpei, and
Hawai‘i, mainly by Philippine immigrants.
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
Breadfruit is fast growing in favorable conditions, growing
in height 0.5–1.5 m (1.7–4.8) per year and trunk diameter
of 0.5–1 m (1.7–3.3) in the rst 10–12 years. Small branch-
es oen die back at the tip aer fruiting, but new shoots and
branches continue to develop throughout the life of the tree.
Breadfruit bears seasonally, with most varieties producing
one or two crops per year. e main crop typically occurs
during the hot, rainy, summer months, followed by a smaller
crop 3–4 months later. Vegetatively propagated trees start
fruiting in 3–6 years. Graed trees can begin bearing in 2–3
years. Trees grown from seed begin to ower and produce
fruit in 6–10 years, or sooner.
PROPAGATION
Breadfruit is clonally propagated using root shoots or root
cuttings. Vegetative propagation is required for seedless va-
rieties and preferred for seeded varieties. Seeds are rarely
used because seedlings are not true-to-type. New branches
and shoots can be air-layered (marcotting). Seedless variet-
ies can be graed onto seeded rootstock using various tech-
niques such as approach graing or cle graing. Under
good conditions, graed trees can begin bearing in 2 years.
Breadnut is always grown from seed.
Steps for root shoots and root cuttings
• Place root shoots and cuttings in a propagating bed,
ats, or individual pots.
• Space 10–15 cm (4–6 in) in a row and 15–20 cm (6–8
in) between rows in beds or ats.
• Use well drained potting media or clean, washed silica
sand with coir dust or sawdust (2:1 ratio). Do not use
beach sand because it is too saline. Coral and shell sand
are too alkaline.
• Place cuttings either horizontally (lightly covered with
media) or at a 45° angle with the upper ¼ exposed.
• Keep cuttings protected from wind and shaded (up to
60% shade). Mist or water as needed depending on am-
bient humidity. It is critical to keep the media moist, so
the cuttings do not dry out. However, the cuttings can
rot if the media is too wet.
• e expected rate of successful rooting is 30–85%.
• Shoots begin to develop from adventitious buds aer
3–4 weeks.
• When shoots are 20–25 cm (8–10 in) tall with roots—
usually in 4–6 months—carefully transplant the cut-
tings into 4–8 liter (1–2 gallon) pots, using a well
drained media. Fertilize sparingly.
• Keep plants in partial shade and weed free.
• Grow to a size of 0.6–1.6 m (2–5 ) in 6–9 months and
then eld plant.
Outplanting techniques
• When plants are to be eld planted in full sun, gradual-
ly move to full sun conditions in the nursery for about
2 months to harden them to site growing conditions.
• Keep plants moist and do not expose to strong wind.
• Reduce the size of the lower leaves by ½–⅔ to reduce
transpiration. Do not remove or damage the growing
point where new leaves develop.
• Protect from wind and excessive heat during transport.
• Dig a hole the same depth and twice as wide as the con-
tainer. Add a small amount of mulch or slow-release
balanced N-P-K fertilizer to the bottom of the hole and
cover with soil.
• Carefully remove the tree from the container to pre-
vent damage to the root system; place the tree in the
hole; add soil no higher than the level of the plant in
the pot; mulch and water well.
• Success rates close to 100% can be expected.
Plant at the onset of the rainy season; if the weather is dry,
irrigate for the rst 1–3 months of establishment. It is im-
portant to practice deep irrigation to encourage a deep root
system. Mulching young plants is benecial to keep soil
moist, supply nutrients, and control weeds around the root
system. Do not use herbicides around the base of the tree
since they can damage the surface roots or young trunk.
Protect young trees from pigs, cattle, goats, and horses that
may eat the bark and tender shoots.
Specialty Crops for Pacic Island Agroforestry (http://agroforestry.net/scps) 5
CULTIVATION
Breadfruit is genetically diverse, especially the seeded forms
in the western Pacic and hybrids (with Artocarpus marian-
nensis) in Micronesia. Numerous Polynesian triploid vari-
eties are genetically identical but morphologically distinct
and tend not to thrive under atoll conditions, while both
seeded and seedless hybrid varieties are better adapted to
atoll conditions.
Breadfruit is traditionally grown in integrated mixed agro-
forestry systems. It is best to keep trees mulched and to use
a non-climbing leguminous ground cover in orchards. Use
compost or provide a complete fertilizer at the beginning
and end of the fruiting season to maintain the health and
vigor of trees, especially those that are 10 or more years old.
Remove dead or damaged branches aer the fruiting season.
In Fiji, commercial orchards of 10–20 trees are considered
ideal for small farmers (NWC 2005). Trees benet from
good composting and mulch, although no systematic work
has been done on fertilizer application. Large mature trees
are oen topped in the Pacic and elsewhere to induce new
shoot growth, but this can oen be detrimental to the tree
as wounds do not heal well. Limit pruning on mature trees
to the removal of dead, damaged, or dangerous branches.
Young trees, especially those grown for commercial produc-
tion, can be carefully pruned every year or so to encourage
a good structure and branching habit. Keeping them low
makes it easier to reach and harvest fruit.
Growing breadfruit as an integral part of a polyculture and
has numerous advantages: total productivity, maximizing
the use of available land, plant interactions, sustainability,
etc. e main disadvantage is pest and disease control in
orchards used for commercial production of fresh fruit for
export markets (see following sections).
Known varieties
Numerous named varieties in the Pacic islands are per-
petuated by vegetative propagation. Some varieties, such as
‘Ma‘afala’, ‘Maopo’, ‘Puou’, and ‘Meinpadahk’, are widely dis-
tributed. Others are localized to specic islands.
‘Ma‘afala’ is widespread in the Pacic and is also found in
Australia, southern Florida, and possibly the Caribbean re-
gion. e small leaves are moderately dissected with 3–5
pairs of lobes. e tree reaches up to 10 m (33) tall with a
spreading canopy.
‘Maopo’ in Samoa and Tonga (known as ‘Hamoa’ in the So-
ciety Islands, ‘Mei aukape’ in the Marquesas, ‘Uto lolo’ in
Fiji, ‘Morava’ in the Cook Islands, and ‘Sra fon’ in Kosrae) is
widespread in the Pacic and was introduced to the Carib-
bean by Captain Bligh. Leaves are almost entire with shallow
lobes at the tip. Vigorous rootstock is good for graing. It
reaches heights of 15 m (50) or taller.
‘Puou’, a common and popular variety throughout the Pa-
cic region, is also found in Australia, southern Florida and
possibly the Caribbean. e large leaves are dull and shal-
lowly dissected with 4–6 pairs of lobes. Fruit is round, oval,
or heart-shaped with a long, stout stalk up to 10 cm (4 in)
and a distinctive raised “neck.” Tree is generally smaller (up
to 10 m [33] tall) with a dense, spreading canopy and pro-
duces many root suckers.
‘Meinpadahk’ (also known as ‘Butatak’ or ‘Betaaktak’) a seed-
less hybrid variety, is important throughout the FSM, Mar-
shall Islands, and Kiribati, and well adapted to atoll condi-
tions. Trees are tall, reaching heights of 12–15 m (40–48),
with a dense spreading canopy. e small, shiny, moderately
dissected leaves have 3–5 pairs of lobes, some with only 1–2
pairs.
Breadfruit propagated by root cuttings and root suckers in nurs-
er y.
Fruit characteristics of some widely distributed
varieties
Variety Shape and esh Fruit size Fruit
weight
‘Ma‘a fala’
Small oval fruit
with white esh,
seedless, occasion-
ally with 1–2 seeds
12–16 cm×
10–13 cm
(4.7–6.3 in×
3.9–5.1 in)
0.6–1.1 kg
(1.3–2.4 lb),
average 0.8
kg (1.8 lb)
‘Mao p o’
Oval to broad ovoid
fruit with pale white
or creamy esh,
seedless
16–22 cm×
16–18 cm
(6.3–8.7 in×
6.3–7.1 in)
2–3.1 kg
(4.4–6.8 lb),
average 2.5
kg (5.5 lb)
‘Puou’
Creamy-pale yellow
esh, seedless, oc-
casionally with 1–2
seeds
15–22 cm×
14–19 cm
(5.9–8.7 in×
5.5–7.5 in)
1.2–2.5 kg
(2.6–5.5 lb),
average 1.9
kg (4.2 lb)
‘Meinpadahk’
Fruit is oval to
asymmetrical, light
yellow-green, and
seedless
12–16 cm×
12–15 cm
(4.8–6.3 in×
4.7–5.9 in)
0.8–1.3 kg
(1.8–2.9 lb),
average 1.1
kg (2.4 lb)
Farm and Forestry Production and Marketing Prole for Breadfruit by Diane Ragone 6
‘Meinpadahk’
‘Maopo’
‘Puou’
‘Ma‘a fala’
© Jim Wiseman
© Jim Wiseman
Specialty Crops for Pacic Island Agroforestry (http://agroforestry.net/scps) 7
PESTS AND DISEASES
Breadfruit is a hardy tree and relatively free of diseases
and pests. Mealybugs can be a serious problem and Kiri-
bati experienced fruit loss and tree decline as a result. In
Australia, fruit spotting bugs (Amblypelta spp.) have caused
some commercial fruit to be downgraded through shape
distortion and hard spots. e glassy-winged sharpshooter
(Homalodisca coagulata), a destructive leaopper, reached
Tahiti and other islands in French Polynesia in 1999, be-
coming a serious agricultural pest. It has been controlled by
the introduction of a parasitic wasp in 2005. is leaop-
per reached Hawai‘i in 2004 and the Cook Islands in 2007.
Cercospora leaf spot is seen on many trees. Phellinus noxius,
a root rot, and fruit rots caused by Phytophthora, Rhizopus,
and Colletotrichum (anthracnose) can cause substantial fruit
loss. If aected fruit are not removed, the rot can spread up
the stalk and into the stem, killing the branch tip. Fruit ies
infest ripe fruit on the tree and ground. Tree decline and
dieback is problematic throughout the Pacic and Caribbe-
an Islands, especially on atolls. Since no pathological cause
has been identied, they are considered to be the result of
storm damage, drought, aging of the trees, or salinity.
Proper care (e.g., removing diseased fruit, removing dead
and dying branches, and mulching) is essential to maintain-
ing the health and vigor of trees. Incidence of fruit rot and
fruit ies can be reduced by not allowing fruit to ripen on
the tree or fall to the ground, and by picking infected fruit
(which should be composted away from the trees or fed to
animals such as pigs). Good sanitation, especially fruit y
control, is essential to maintaining the level of fruit quality
required by export markets. Natures Way Cooperative Fiji
(NWC 2005) details pests and diseases and their control for
export. is involves bait spraying, which is a mandatory
requirement to export fresh fruit to New Zealand. Since it
involves the careful application of malathion, fruit cannot
be marketed as organic. For local use and processing, other
methods to reduce fruit rot and fruit y problems should
be used.
DISADVANTAGES
e main drawbacks of breadfruit as a crop are:
• Fruit are perishable with limited shelf life.
• Seasonal production, especially if only a few varieties
are grown.
• Challenging harvest and postharvest handling.
• Limited availability of planting material for good qual-
ity varieties.
• Limited research and extension on agronomy, yields,
pruning, and orchard management.
• Limited support for research and development and
marketing of products.
• Lack of awareness about breadfruit.
INVASIVE POTENTIAL
Breadfruit has no potential for invasiveness. Most varieties
are seedless and can only be propagated vegetatively, requir-
ing humans to distribute and spread them. Clonal ospring
spread a limited distance from the original tree via root
shoots. Seeded varieties are not readily spread since seeds
are relatively large and lose viability quickly.
AGROFORESTRY
Breadfruit trees provide shade, mulch, and a benecial mi-
croclimate. ey are generally included in home gardens or
mixed agroforestry systems with other useful plants. Widely
spaced trees (12 m× 12 m [40 × 40 ] is recommended for
commercial production) in an orchard can be interplanted
with small fruit trees and a leguminous cover crop. Short-
term fruit crops (e.g., pineapple, banana, and papaya) or
eld and vegetable crops (e.g., taro, tomato, and eggplant)
can also be grown between young breadfruit trees. A legu-
minous cover crop should replace these intercrops when
they begin to interfere with orchard operations. Some inter-
planting systems include:
• In the Federated States of Micronesia (Pohnpei), bread-
fruit is typically grown with yam (Dioscorea spp.). Yam
vines climb trellises of beach hibiscus (Hibiscus tilia-
ceus) or bamboo and grow into the canopy of the tree
during its non-fruiting period and are dormant while
the breadfruit is harvested. is allows breadfruit to be
picked without damaging the yam vines.
• In American Samoa, breadfruit is grown with taro, cas-
sava, bananas, citrus, and cacao.
• In Palau, breadfruit is grown with betel nut, cassava,
taro, citrus, and ornamentals.
ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
Breadfruit is oen grown on steep hillsides, especially on
the high islands of Micronesia, where it is the canopy spe-
cies in traditional agroforestry systems. It can be interplant-
ed with a wide range of crops and plants (e.g., yam, banana,
medicinal plants, aroids, gingers, noni, kava, coee, cacao,
black pepper, etc.).
Breadfruit trees grow well on hillsides, protecting water-
sheds, providing erosion control, and windbreaks. e can-
opy provides benecial shade for plants and people and the
large leaves create mulch. It is used as a trellis tree for yam.
e fruit is an important food source for ying foxes, na-
tive doves, and other birds in the Pacic islands. Honeybees
Farm and Forestry Production and Marketing Prole for Breadfruit by Diane Ragone 8
benet by collecting pollen from the male inorescence and
droplets of latex that ooze from the fruit surface.
COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION
Harvest
Breadfruit is generally picked and consumed when mature
but not yet ripe. Careful harvest and postharvest handling is
essential for maintaining fruit quality. Fruit that fall to the
ground tend to bruise and soen sooner than those which
are picked from the tree and gently handled. Common tools
for harvesting fruit are a long picking pole with a forked end
to clasp the stem or a woven or mesh bag to catch the fruit.
Tripod orchard ladders are very practical, as the tripod de-
sign allows them to be safely used on uneven or rough ter-
rain.. Made of aluminum they are lightweight, sturdy, and
durable. Commercial ladders range in height from 1.5m to
4.9 m (5–16), depending on the manufacturer.
Postharvest handling and processing
Fruit quickly ripens in just 1–3 days aer harvest.
Shelf life can be extended by careful harvesting
and pre-cooling fruit with chipped ice in the eld
and during transport. Covering fruit with water
can also delay ripening for a few days.
Natures Way Cooperative Fiji (NWC 2005) has
produced a detailed manual for growing and mar-
keting fresh breadfruit for export. New Zealand
requires that imported fruit go through a high
temperature forced air quarantine treatment to kill
fruit y eggs and larvae. e fruit is then inspected,
packed, and held at 15°C (40°F) for shipment; at
which temperature fruit can remain rm for 10
days (Stice et al. 2007).
Value-added processing
Breadfruit’s seasonal nature makes protable pro-
cessing dicult. Food processing operations must
operate extremely eciently because competition
keeps prot margins low. Idle time during process-
Le: Coee orchard interplanted with breadfruit, coconut, and other food plants in Hōlualoa, Hawai‘i. Center: Yam (Dioscorea spp.)
trained up bamboo poles into a breadfruit tree canopy in Pohnpei. Right: Harvesting breadfruit in American Samoa with a long pick-
ing pole made of beach hibiscus.
© Craig Elevitch
Le: Harvested breadfruit ready for postharvest storage prior to export
from Samoa. Right: In regions where people are less familiar with bread-
fruit, labeling that educates consumers about taste and preparation is a
good sales tool.
Specialty Crops for Pacic Island Agroforestry (http://agroforestry.net/scps) 9
ing is highly unprotable because xed costs accrue and
production of nished products for sale diminish. is is
the driving force for mass production (Beyer 2007). Sea-
sonal supply diculties can be mitigated by: 1) bulk pres-
ervation (i.e., drying/freezing raw material at the height of
the season); 2) dovetailing breadfruit processing with other
products with dierent seasonal glut; and, 3) planting vari-
eties with sequential seasons.
Development of products for local use to replace imported
foodstus or products that are shipped via sea freight is the
most cost eective and benecial to local economies. e
simplest, most cost- and energy-ecient means of process-
ing breadfruit is to slice or shred raw fruit, dry the pieces
using a solar dryer/dehydrator (electric dryers are more en-
ergy intensive), and grind into a rough meal or our. A tra-
ditional method of drying involves roasting whole fruit in a
re, cutting it into small pieces, and drying over a hot re.
ese pieces (called namba in the Solomon Islands) have a
pleasant, smoky avor. Breadfruit our can be used as a par-
tial substitute for imported wheat our in breads, cakes, and
pastries, and is suitable for export. Ground meal can be used
as a component of animal feed.
e traditional Pacic breadfruit preservation method of
fermenting fruit in a leaf-lined pit, or more recently, in plas-
tic or metal containers, deserves attention. Ripe fruit can be
dried in thin sheets as a delicious “fruit leather” or mixed
with other locally grown products to create fruit bars. Chips
and other snack foods fried in coconut or other oil, can be
sold locally. For export, these snacks require greater invest-
ment in energy, equipment, packaging materials, and pre-
servatives to maintain freshness and quality.
Minimally processed pulp has the appearance, texture, and
taste of fresh breadfruit. Minimal processing involves plac-
ing slices or cubes of fruit in plastic bags, vacuum sealing,
then immersing in boiling water so the heat penetrates
through the bags and the surface of the pulp reaches at least
Le: Organic breadfruit chips produced in Samoa. Top right: Breadfruit chips have a unique appearance and good taste and texture.
Bottom right: Breadfruit dried in a solar dehydrator: thin slices (larger pieces) and shredded pieces, ready to be ground into our or
meal.
Farm and Forestry Production and Marketing Prole for Breadfruit by Diane Ragone 10
80°C (176°F) for 15 seconds (Beyer 2005). e pouches are
immediately cooled using cold water to prevent overcook-
ing. is is repeated 24 hours later and again on the third
day. is technique results in pack sterility.
Where refrigeration/freezer facilities are economically fea-
sible, and enough product is available to process, peeled ma-
ture and ripe fruit can be frozen. Frozen fruit can be thawed,
cooked, and mixed into dough that makes excellent extrud-
ed products. Frozen breadfruit “French fries” could replace
imported fries made from potatoes.
Recommended labeling
Useful information includes country of origin, locality,
breadfruit variety (if known), list of ingredients, net weight,
nutritional composition (if known), and producer’s name
and contact information. An attractive label and packag-
ing draws the consumer’s attention to the product and helps
with marketing. If certied organic by an independent, in-
ternationally recognized organization, the certifying organi-
zation’s name and logo should appear on the label. Export-
ers should research and comply with the requirements of
the importing country.
SMALL SCALE PRODUCTION
Breadfruit is an important staple crop in the Pacic region
and makes substantive contributions to local food security.
Traditional Pacic diets were mainly based on starchy staple
crops and marine resources. Numerous health problems are
associated with replacing the island diet of local foods with
imported white rice and our, rened foods, sweets, and
fried foods. Breadfruit is an excellent dietary staple and com-
pares favorably with taro, plantain, cassava, and sweetpotato,
all commonly eaten in the Pacic. Breadfruit is a nutritious,
high-energy food with moderate glycemic index, rich in -
ber, and a good source of vitamins B1, B2, and C, potassium,
magnesium, and calcium, with small amounts of thiamin,
riboavin, niacin, and iron. Some cultivars contain small
amounts of folic acid. Ripe fruit, especially yellow-eshed
varieties, can be a good source of provitamin-A carotenoids.
When possible, plant more than one variety to extend avail-
ability of fruit over a longer period. Keep trees low for easier
harvesting. Since full fruiting potential from new trees takes
3–4 years, intercrop with pineapples, papaya, banana or oth-
er faster yielding crops to achieve quicker returns, while the
breadfruit reaches a productive age.
In rural areas, and where subsistence agriculture is still a
way of life, breadfruit is prepared and eaten regularly during
the season. In Pohnpei, Kosrae, the Marshall Islands, and
the Marquesas, some families still preserve fruit by fermen-
tation. Excess or ripe fruit, peels, and cores are fed to pigs
in many areas. Unfortunately, breadfruit production has
declined in many areas over the past 10–20 years with in-
creased reliance on imported staples such as rice.
Breadnut and breadfruit seeds are a good source of protein,
potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and niacin, similar in a-
vor and texture to chestnuts. Seeds can be boiled, roasted,
or ground into meal or our. Breadnut seeds are generally
sweeter and tastier than breadfruit seeds.
Growing breadfruit on a family farm or homestead allows
the grower access to a readily available, nutritious source
of carbohydrates. Breadfruit can supplement or replace
imported crops such as rice or potatoes. Dried and ground
into our, it can partially replace imported wheat our in
many baked products and snack foods. Dried, ground meal
can also partially substitute for imported poultry and pig
feed. Breadfruit cultivation does not depend on expensive
petroleum-based fertilizers.
YIELDS
Yields vary depending upon variety, age, tree health, and
growing conditions, ranging from less than 100 to more
Breadfruit fermentation pit in Chuuk, FSM. 1987.
Specialty Crops for Pacic Island Agroforestry (http://agroforestry.net/scps) 11
Nutrient composition of breadfruit (per 100 g [approx. ½ cup])
Nutrient Mature, raw1Mature, raw2Mature,
steamed3
Mature,
boiled1
Mature,
baked2Ripe, raw4Ripe, boiled4
Energy (kcal) 107 68–112 107–138 75 112–115 - -
Protein (g) 1.5 0.8–1.4 0.6–1.3 1.3 0.6–1.3 - -
Carbohydrate (g) 23.6 17.5–29.2 25–33 14.4 29.9–30.2 - -
Fat (g) 0.4 0.3 0.1–0.2 0.9 0.2 - -
Fiber (g) 2.5 0.8–0.9 2.1–7.4 2.5 0.9 - -
Water (g) 72 67.6–79.4 65–73 81 66.5–67.2 - -
Calcium (mg) 25 19.8–36 10–30 13 23.2–26.4 - -
Iron (mg) 1 0.33–0.46 0.4–1.1 0.2 0.36–0.52 - -
Magnesium (mg) 24 26.4–41.1 20–30 23 23.1–46.2 - -
Phosphorus (mg) - 26–29.7 18–41 - 26.4–32.1 - -
Potassium (mg) 480 224–354 283–437 350 283–339 - -
Sodium (mg) 1 4.2–10.4 13–70 1 4.9–6.6 - -
Zinc (mg) 0.1 0.07–0.1 0.07–0.13 0.1 0.07–0.17 - -
Copper (mg) - 0.06–0.1 0.04–0.15 - 0.04–0.10 - -
Manganese (mg) - 0.04–0.07 0.04–0.08 - 0.03–0.07 - -
Boron (mg) - 0.50–0.54 0.09–0.19 - 0.51–0.72 - -
Vitamin C (mg) 20 18.2–23.3 2–12 22 14.1–15.4 - -
B1 iamin (mg) 0.1 0.25–0.31 0.09–0.15 0.08 0.19–0.22 - -
B2 Riboavin (mg) 0.06 0.09–0.11 0.02–0.05 0.05 0.07–0.10 - -
B3 Niacin (mg) 1.2 1.6–1.8 0.75–1.4 0.7 1.6–1.9 - -
Folic acid (µg) - - 0.67–1.0 - - - -
ß-carotene (µg) 24 - 8–20 30 - 48–140 1–868
alpha-carotene (µg) - - - - - <10–14 <5–142
ß-cryptoxanthin (µg) - - 8–11 - - 1 <10
lycopene (µg) - - 13–26 - - - -
lutein (µg) - - 41–120 - - 204–590 35–750
zeanthin (µg) - - - - - 60 <10–70
Sources: 1. Dignan et al. 2004 (no data on varieties); 2. Meilleur et al. 2004 (1 variety, 2 locations); 3. Ragone and Cavaletto 2006 (20
varieties); 4. Englberger et al. 2007 (14 varieties boiled, 2 raw)
Le: Breadnut seeds (bottom row) tend to be larger and a lighter brown color than breadfruit seeds. Ruler scale is in centimeters.
Right: Breadfruit poi (breadfruit specially pounded with a small amount of water) is a traditional processed product of Hawai‘i.
Farm and Forestry Production and Marketing Prole for Breadfruit by Diane Ragone 12
than 600 fruit per tree with average yields of 150–250 fruit
or 160–500 kg (350–1100 lb) per year. Approximately 5.5
MT/ha (2.4 T/ac) were produced in a traditional mixed
agroforestry system on Pohnpei. Farmers in Tanzania re-
ported yields of up to 900 fruit/tree, with an average of 400
fruit/tree (Maerere and Mgembe 2007). Approximately 75%
of the fruit is edible (pulp). e skin is also edible and nu-
tritious, although considered less palatable, and, along with
the pulp, can be ground into our, especially for animal feed.
When growing breadfruit for fresh fruit export markets,
trees should be planted about 12 m (40 ) apart (NWC
2005) to help with orchard management and to reduce pest
and disease problems. Closer spacing is possible in an or-
chard if trees are regularly pruned and shaped to maintain
a low prole.
COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION
Breadfruit is mainly produced for local use and commercial
production gures are dicult to obtain for most countries.
Agricultural censuses conducted by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture (www.agcensus.usda.gov) provide detailed
information on the number of farms that grow breadfruit,
number of trees, amount harvested, age of farmers, and val-
ue of the breadfruit crop for American Samoa, Guam, Com-
monwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), and
the U.S. Virgin Islands. Production gures are not available
for Hawai‘i or Puerto Rico.
American Samoa was the largest producer by far, with more
than 5,000 farms growing breadfruit, mostly for family con-
sumption. In 2003 the age of breadfruit farmers was: 34
years or younger (472 farmers), 35–54 years (2,869 farmers),
55–64 years (1,382 farmers), and 65 years or older (1,090
farmers).
American Samoa production 1990–2003
2003 1999 1990
Number of farms 5,813 5,900 827
Number of trees 150,778 142,245 83,409
Quantity harvested for sale
(lbs) 703,375 761,786 101,418
Quantity harvested for con-
sumption (lbs) 4,102,985 6,007,567 890,317
Value of sales ($) 388,725 331,063 27,222
Value of consumption ($) 2,267,543 2,643,330 (NA)
Source: USDA 2003 and 1999 Agricultural Census (www.agcen-
sus.usda.gov).
In the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, ten
of the farms were on Saipan and four were on Rota. e
age of farmers ranged from younger than 44 years (2 farm-
ers), 45–54 years (8 farmers), 55–65 years (2 farmers) and 65
years or older (2 farmers).
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
production
2002 1998 1990
Number of farms 14 9 33
Number of non-bearing trees 96 33 NA
Number of bearing trees 169 37 NA
Quantity harvested (lbs) 3,690 2,584 15,010
Source: USDA 2002 and 1998 Agricultural Census (www.agcen-
sus.usda.gov).
In 2002, two of the farmers growing breadfruit on Guam
were 55–64 years, and three were 65 or older. e value of
the crop was not reported.
Guam production
2002 1998 1993
Number of farms 5 26 12
Number of non-bearing trees 33 9 58
Number of bearing trees 107 81 109
Quantity harvested (lbs) 2,430 3,890 3,720
Source: USDA 2002 and 1998 Agricultural Census (www.agcen-
sus.usda.gov).
e U.S. Virgin islands saw almost a 50% decline in the
number of farms growing breadfruit from 1997 to 2002. In
2002, the age of breadfruit farmers was 44 years or younger
Nutrient composition of breadfruit/breadnut seeds
(100 g, 10–12 seeds)
Nutrient Raw1Boiled1Boiled2Roasted1Roasted2
Water (g) 56.3 59.3 59 49.7 50
Energy (kcal) 191 168 155 207 191
Protein (g) 7.4 5.3 5.3 6.2 6.2
Carbohydrate (g) 29.2 32 27.3 40.1 34.1
Fat (g) 5.6 2.3 2.3 2.7 2.7
Fiber (g) 5.2 4.8 3 6 3.7
Calcium (mg) 36 61 69 86 86
Iron (mg) 3.7 0.6 0.7 0.9 0.9
Magnesium (mg) 54 50 50 62 62
Phosphorus (mg) 175 124 - 175 -
Potassium (mg) 941 875 875 1082 1080
Sodium (mg) 25 23 23 28 28
Zinc (mg) 0.9 0.83 0.8 1.03 1.0
Copper (mg) 1.15 1.07 - 1.32 -
Manganese (mg) 0.14 0.13 - 0.16 -
Vitamin C (mg) 6.6 6.1 6.1 7.6 7.6
B1 iamin (mg) 0.48 0.29 0.34 0.41 0.41
B2 Riboavin (mg) 0.30 0.17 0.19 0.24 0.24
B3 Niacin (mg) 0.44 5.3 6 7.4 7.4
Sources: 1. USDA 2007; 2. Dignan et al. 2004
Specialty Crops for Pacic Island Agroforestry (http://agroforestry.net/scps) 13
(4 farmers), 45–54 years (8 farmers), 55–64 years (11 farm-
ers), and 65 years or older (14 farmers).
U.S. Virgin Islands production
2002 1997–
1998 1993
Number of farms 37 70 44
Number of non-bearing
trees 106 171 148
Number of bearing trees 144 540 201
Quantity harvested (lbs) 5,875 18,299 5,535
Source: USDA 2002 and 1998 Agricultural Census (www.agcen-
sus.usda.gov).
e agriculture census for the U.S. Virgin Islands provides
production data for the islands of Saint Croix, and Saint
John and Saint omas combined.
Saint Croix and Saint John & Saint Thomas production
Saint Croix Saint John &
Saint omas
2002 1997 2002 1997
Number of farms 28 54 9 16
Number of non-bearing trees 76 134 30 37
Number of bearing trees 75 97 69 443
Quantity harvested (lbs) 3,505 3,759 2,370 14,540
Source: USDA 2002 and 1998 Agricultural Census (www.agcen-
sus.usda.gov).
Number of farms and annual income from breadfruit sales
in 2002 for American Samoa, Commonwealth of the North-
ern Mariana Islands (CNMI), and U.S. Virgin islands ranged
from less than $100 to more than $10,000 per year.
Sales in American Samoa, CNMI, and U.S. Virgin islands
Income
American
Samoa
(2003)
CNMI
(2002)
U.S. Virgin
Islands
(2002)
<$100 3,896 - -
$100–499 337 - -
$500–1,199 410 - 11
$1,200–2,499 315 3 13
$2,500–4,999 253 3 4
$5,000–7,499 169 2 3
$7,500–9,999 74 - 2
≥$10,000 359 6 4
Source: USDA 2003 (American Samoa) and 2002 (CNMI and
U.S. Virgin Islands) Agricultural Census (www.agcensus.usda.
gov).
For Hawai‘i, fruit are generally available July–December
(Hawai‘i Dept. of Agriculture, no date). e U.S. Depart-
ment of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Ser-
vice Hawai‘i Field Oce (USDA NASS, no date) reported
that island growers sold an estimated 2.3 million pounds of
tropical specialty fruit in 2007 (Associated Press, August 14,
2008). Some of the tropical specialty fruits included in the
survey were lychee, mango, starfruit, and breadfruit. How-
ever, specic production gures for breadfruit were not
documented as production is not high enough to warrant
this treatment.
e latest comprehensive agricultural census for Fiji in 1991
reported there were 183,000 bearing trees in the country
(NWC 2005). at gure is probably much lower today due
to hurricane damage and other tree losses. e 1999 agri-
cultural census for Samoa estimated 89,000 trees in 13,009
holdings (McGregor 2002). e 2005 agricultural census
for Samoa showed that 34 holdings grew breadfruit for ex-
port, 469 for sale and consumption, and 14,680 for home
consumption (Tuivavalagi and Samuelu 2007). In Kiribati,
7,588 households had at least one breadfruit tree. A survey
of 65 farms showed that 52,000 fruit were produced, rang-
ing from 271–1,071 fruit per farm. Tarawa, where the de-
mand was highest, had the lowest production, with average
yeilds of 150 fruit (Kairo 2007).
Australian farmers, mainly in coastal north Queensland
and around Darwin, produce 20 MT (22 T) year valued at
AU$60,000 for the Australian fresh market (Goebel 2007).
ere are three commercial orchards with 60, 100, and 150
trees each, and about 30 smaller plantings totaling 100 trees.
In 2004, 571,340 fruit were produced and 166,826 kg traded
in the Maldives, where breadfruit is an important subsis-
tence crop. On the main market of Malé Atoll, 76,453 kg
(168,200 lb) valued at Rf959,965 at Rf12.56/kg (approx.
US$1.00/kg) were sold. During the year, 8,659 trees were
planted (MFAMR 2004). Many breadfruit trees were de-
stroyed in the December 2004 tsunami.
e Caribbean region is also a major producer of breadfruit.
ere were estimated to be more than 2 million trees in Ja-
maica in the 1950s. By the 1980s, about 46,000 remained
and Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 may have killed or damaged
50% of those (Webster 2006). Due to the growing demand
for breadfruit as fresh fruit or for processing, there have
been national eorts to plant more breadfruit trees. As of
April 2001, the Rural Agricultural Development Authority
helped plant 18 ha of breadfruit, exceeding their target of 15
ha (37 ac) (RADA 2001). e Jamaican Ministry of Agricul-
ture’s Agriculture Development Strategy 2005–2008 (2005)
targeted planting 70 ha (172 ac) of breadfruit trees in Year
1, 50 ha (124 ac) in Year 2, and 30 ha (74 ac) in Year 3. To-
tal planting gures are unavailable, however, approximately
209 small plots totaling 2.6 ha (6.4 ac) have been planted of
the ‘Macca’ or ‘Prickly’ variety (Webster 2006).
Farm and Forestry Production and Marketing Prole for Breadfruit by Diane Ragone 14
Area in cultivation for example Pacic islands
Country Ye a r No.
Tre es
Hold-
ings Area (ha)
Cook Islands 2000 2,223 3
Guam 1987 1,006 156 -
Niue 1989 3,656 -
Northern Mariana Islands 1990 475 33 -
Palau 1989 192 - -
Samoa 1989 - - 1,062
Samoa 1999 - 13,009 -
Source: FAO Statistics Division World Census of Agriculture
(www.fao.org)
Area in cultivation for example Caribbean islands
Country Ye a r No. Trees Holdings
Barbados 1989 1,713 -
St. Lucia 1986 - 6,438
St. Lucia 1996 70,010 -
Trinidad & Tobago 2004 27,694 -
Source: FAO Statistics Division World Census of Agriculture
(www.fao.org)
MARKETS
Market data are hard to come by for most countries in the
Pacic region. Fresh, cooked, and prepared fruit are gener-
ally available through markets, roadside stands, and other
small vendors. Processed products, mainly chips, are sold
at the same venues and by retailers. Breadfruit-based dishes
are occasionally available at restaurants serving local foods.
Samoa sells 100–300 MT (110–330 T) of fresh fruit annually,
with 60–130 MT (66–143 T) sold in the Fugalei Market in
Apia (McGregor 2002).
e current main export market is fresh fruit shipped by
air freight. On a very small scale, traditional products are
shipped internally, such as namba (from the Temotu Prov-
ince to Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands) and a preserved
fruit paste (from Kapingamarangi to Pohnpei Island, FSM).
Whole roasted fruit are occasionally air freighted from Ta-
hiti and Hawai‘i to Pacic islands, New Zealand, and the
mainland United States. Commercial exports of fresh fruit
in the Pacic region commenced in 2001 with shipments
from Samoa and Fiji to New Zealand. New Zealand cur-
rently imports fresh fruit of ‘Maopo’, ‘Ma‘afala’, and ‘Puou’
from Samoa and ‘Uto dina’ and ‘Balekana’ from Fiji. If sup-
ply and fruit quality constraints can be met, it is estimated
that New Zealand markets could readily consume 4 MT (4.4
T) per week of fresh breadfruit with a market potential of
500–1,500 MT (550–1,650 T) per year (Stice et al. 2007).
Samoa exported 74 MT (81 T) in 2004–2006 (Tuivavalagi
and Samuelu 2007). Annual exports from Fiji were 2 MT
(2.2 T) in 2001, increasing to 12 MT (13 T) in 2005 (Stice
et al. 2007). Up to 9 MT (10 T) per month of frozen bread-
fruit pieces were exported from Fiji (Beyer 2007). In 2007,
1–2 MT (1.1–2.2 T) per day were needed by a commercial
processor to ll the demand for canned breadfruit shipped
to Australia, New Zealand, and Canada (Fiji Times 2007).
Fresh and cooked breadfruit imports to Australia from the
Pacic are currently prohibited, although commercially pro-
duced peeled, seeded, and frozen pulp is permitted (Goebel
2007). e U.S. Department of Agriculture (Federal Register
2008) allowed the shipment of irradiated breadfruit to the
U.S. mainland, opening the door for fresh fruit exports from
Hawai‘i.
In Hawai‘i, fresh breadfruit is generally available in ethnic
grocery stores and at local farmers markets. A few restau-
rants and individuals are processing breadfruit and/or pre-
paring and serving breadfruit on a small scale. For example,
one local entrepreneur on the Hawai‘i Island makes bread-
fruit chips as well as a manju-type confection and pies using
ripe breadfruit. A few island chefs feature or use breadfruit
at their restaurants.
ere is an increasing demand for fresh breadfruit in Hawai‘i
by Hawaiians and others interested in a traditional island
diet for health reasons. Breadfruit can serve as a replace-
ment for wheat-based food products, which are associated
with food allergies. A large potential market for fresh bread-
fruit and breadfruit products also exists in the communi-
ties of Pacic islanders who reside in Hawai‘i and on the
U.S. mainland. In addition, markets can be created in the
food service industry where new cuisines have developed
in recent years, incorporating Asian/Pacic inuences into
themes such as Hawai‘i regional cuisine.
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacic Islander
Populations (NHPI) for the United States and the
State of Hawai‘i in 2000
Total U.S.1Hawaii2
Baskets of breadfruit for sale at Fugalei Market, Apia, Samoa,
where fruit are available year-round.
Specialty Crops for Pacic Island Agroforestry (http://agroforestry.net/scps) 15
Total Population 281,421,906 1,211,537
NHPI
alone3
NHPI
alone3
NHPI alone
or in combi-
nation4
Native Hawaiians 145,809 80,137 239,655
Samoan 96,756 16,166 28,184
Tong a n 29,940 3,993 5,988
Other Polynesian 6,314 588 3,019
Micronesian 77,422 9,818 16,843
Melanesian 10,287 240 503
Other Pacic islander,
not specied 41,867 872 5,059
Sources: 1. e Native Hawaiian and Other Pacic islander
Population: 2000. U.S. Department of Commerce. U.S. Census
Bureau. December 2001. 2. e State of Hawai‘i Data Book 2000.
Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development and
Tourism. 3. Respondents who reported their race as one or more
of the six detailed groups, but no other race. 4. Respondents who
reported they were a Pacic islander and another race, e.g., Cau-
casian, Asian.
Several Caribbean countries (Jamaica, St. Lucia, Dominica,
St. Vincent, and the Dominican Republic) ship fresh fruit to
the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Exports declined from 2,023
MT (2225 T) in 1998 to 1,203 MT (1,320 T) in 2005, even
though demand remained high (Roberts-Nkrumah 2007).
Jamaica is the largest exporter in the region, exporting 3,437
MT (3,780 T) during 2000–2004 (517–776 MT [570–850 T]
per year) with a total value of approximately US$3 million
(RADA 2003–2006). Mauritius exports breadfruit to Europe
on a small scale of 0.4 MT (0.44 T) in 1996, 20 MT (22 T) in
1997 and 1.9 MT (2.1 T) in 2000 (MAFTNR 2003).
Specialty markets
ere are several promising specialty markets, including
• organic and natural foods
• bird, bee, and ying fox friendly (conservation twist)
• watershed protection
• sustainable agriculture, and
• potential carbon credits.
e historical importance of breadfruit and name recogni-
tion in many countries (based on its connection to Mutiny
on the Bounty) could play a key factor in marketing. Spe-
cialty varieties identied by region could also be helpful in
catering to expatriate markets.
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
A nancial model for a breadfruit orchard of 20 trees was
developed for Fiji (NWC 2005). It assumes that a household,
using entirely its own labor, operates the orchard. e trees
are planted at 12 m× 12 m (40 × 40 ) spacing, requir-
ing an area of approximately 0.3 ha (0.75 ac). Wide spacing
minimizes fungal disease problems and allows for crops to
be grown between the trees. Some production is realized in
the second year, with full production achieved in 4 years.
Yield estimates are regarded as conservative and no fertil-
izer is applied, although subsequent research may show that
applying fertilizer is economically worthwhile. A farm gate
price of FJ$0.50/fruit (FJ$0.45/kg) is assumed. is is the
price currently paid for breadfruit picked from scattered
trees. e quality of fruit from the orchard can be expected
to be superior with a lower rate of rejection at the exporter’s
pack house than for fruit collected in unmanaged agrofor-
ests.
Yields and returns for a breadfruit orchard of 20
trees in Fiji
Ye a r 2 3 4–16
Marketable yield
Number of fruit/tree 15 75 150
kg of fruit 16.5 82.5 165
Total marketable production (kg) 330 1,650 3,300
Sales @FJ$0.45/kg FJ$148 FJ$742 FJ$1,485
Source: NWC 2005
Over a 16-year period, the average annual labor input of the
household is 37 days. Estimated average annual gross mar-
gin from the 20 trees is FJ$1,200 (or FJ$60/tree). Estimated
return to household labor is about FJ$33/person per day. In
2007, the per capita income in Fiji was US$3,300 (World
Bank 2009), equivalent to US$12.69/day based on a 5 day
work week. Additional income from interplanting other
crops during the rst 3 years can be expected.
Prots are high because of the relatively low labor require-
ment for breadfruit production. Estimated nancial returns
are sensitive to yield. If marketable yield could be increased
50% by using better varieties and/or improved management,
average gross margins would increase to FJ$1,671/farm,
FJ$84/tree, and FJ$38/person per day.
In Jamaica, production costs and revenue projections for es-
tablishing a 1 ha (2.5 ac) orchard (Webster 2006) were based
on 125 trees/ha (50 trees/ac), with rst economic bearing 3
years aer planting, two bearing seasons per year, and mar-
ketable yield at 60% total annual yield: 5,000 fruit at Year 3
and 16,625 fruit at peak production (7 years). Average base
price per fruit was JM$15.00 (US$0.25) with annual ina-
tion rate of 10%.
Estimated returns for 1-ha breadfruit orchard in
Jamaica
Ye a r Annual return
JM$
Annual return
US$
0 (establishment) -52,500 -875
1 -21,800 -363
2 -23,980 -400
Farm and Forestry Production and Marketing Prole for Breadfruit by Diane Ragone 16
3 18,622 310
7 331,829 5,530
10 541,992 9,033
Expected income per tree
e average price for fresh breadfruit at the Fugalei Mar-
ket, the main produce market in Samoa, was ST$0.97/kg in
2005 and ST$0.99/kg in 2006, ranging from ST$0.55–1.76/
kg (Tuivavalagi and Samuelu 2007). Data from the Cen-
tral Bank of Samoa Fugalei Market Survey Report report-
ed prices of ST$0.55–3.96/kg during 2007. Higher prices
were obtained when supplies were low. In Fiji, producers
received FJ$0.45–1.00/kg. In Kiribati, individual fruit sold
for US$1.50–2.30 in 2005–2006 (Kairo 2007). In American
Samoa in 2003 the market value of breadfruit was US$3.98/
kg (USDA 2003)
No gures are available for processed or value-added prod-
ucts. However, Beyer (2005) provides a formula for estimat-
ing production cost during the early stages of development
of processed/value-added products: to estimate the cost of
raw materials, labor and services, add the cost of raw ma-
terials, multiply by 3 and add 10%. is estimated cost of
production can then be used in the following formula to
calculate an approximate wholesale price that must be com-
petitive with similar products in order to be protable.
cost of production + cost of distribution (transport) +
prot = minimum wholesale price needed for prot-
ability
If the price the market is willing to pay is too small, there
will be a loss on the part of the producer, and the product is
not economically feasible.
Some examples of this formula applied to the economic fea-
sibility of possible local products in Pohnpei (Beyer 2005)
include:
Frozen breadfruit pieces
Expenses US$
breadfruit 0.30/lb
plastic pouch 0.03 per unit sold
Total raw materials 0.33/lb
Processing (×3 + 10%) 1.10/lb
Assuming a 20% mark-up by retailers, the minimum retail
amount that would need to be charged at retail (in addi-
tion to transportation and the producer’s prot margin) is
US$1.32/lb.
It is estimated that this product will be consumed as the
carbohydrate portion of a main meal. Even at this price, a
frozen breadfruit product is unlikely to compete with rice
or ramen noodles. However, this product might compete fa-
vorably with other carbohydrate products such as imported
potatoes, frozen French fries (US$6.45 per 500 g bag), and
pizza crusts.
Extruded breadfruit snacks
Expenses US$
breadfruit 0.30/lb
oil (est.) 0.01 per 4 oz packet
salt 0.01 per 4 oz packet
Total cost of ingredients 0.32/lb
Per 4 oz package costs US$
raw materials 0.08
plastic pouch 0.03
Total cost of raw materials 0.11
Total production cost (x 3 + 10%) 0.36
Assuming a 20% mark-up by retailers, the minimum retail
amount that would need to be charged for extruded bread-
fruit snacks at retail (in addition to transportation and the
producer’s prot margin) is US$0.44/4-oz packet.
Breadfruit snacks are likely consumed at barbeques and
other social events. e major competition is likely to be
commercial extruded crispy snacks processed from vari-
ous starches, with a retail price of around US$1.65/4-oz
pack. Based on the estimated price of US$0.44/4-oz pack
plus transportation cost and prot, it is expected extruded
breadfruit snacks will compete favorably against similar im-
ported snacks based on corn and rice.
FURTHER STUDY
Participants at the “First International Symposium on
Breadfruit Research & Development” (Taylor and Ragone
2007) made the following recommendations for breadfruit
production, product development, and marketing:
• Develop a variety of convenient products with extend-
ed shelf life to replace imported less-healthy staple and
snack foods, targeting all age groups.
• Choose innovative approaches for improving market-
ing—health, cultural, food security, environmental,
and fair trade.
• Consider traditional methodology, such as fermenta-
tion, for product development, rather than concentrat-
ing all eorts on modern methodology.
• Develop good production practices specic to each
geographic area and dierent varieties of breadfruit;
incorporate planting of dierent varieties to increase
production and year-round availability.
• Embark on commercial production by planting bread-
fruit orchards and experimenting with production
techniques (e.g., pruning, harvesting, etc.).
Specialty Crops for Pacic Island Agroforestry (http://agroforestry.net/scps) 17
• Identify desired products and production
practices designed specically to meet the de-
mand for “a product.” Develop guidelines for
production practices for specic products to
be disseminated in a suitable form.
• Produce a comprehensive production manual
for export as well as simple leaets for grow-
ing breadfruit in a homegarden.
GENETIC RESOURCES
e National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG)
in Hana, Hawai‘i, maintains an extensive germ-
plasm collection with 200 accessions and 120 va-
rieties. e Breadfruit Institute at NTBG, Hawai‘i
(breadfruit.org) has partnered with a horticultural
company to propagate selected breadfruit varieties
on a large scale. Methods are now in place to grow
and ship healthy, vigorous young breadfruit plants
that will mature quickly and easily into productive
trees.
e USDA Clonal Germplasm Repository in Waiakea,
Hawai‘i, maintains 30 breadfruit accessions.
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Specialty Crops for Pacic Island Agroforestry (http://agroforestry.net/scps) 19
Specialty Crops for Pacic Island Agroforestry (http://agroforestry.net/scps)
Farm and Forestry
Production and Marketing prole for
Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis)
Author: Dr. Diane Ragone, PhD, e Breadfruit Institute, National Tropical Botanical Garden, 3530 Papalina Road, Kalaheo, Hawai‘i
96741 USA; Web: http://www.ntbg.org, http://www.breadfruit.org.
Recommended citation: Ragone, D. 2011 (revised). Farm and Forestry Production and Marketing Prole for Breadfruit (Artocarpus
altilis). In: Elevitch, C.R. (ed.). Specialty Crops for Pacic Island Agroforestry. Permanent Agriculture Resources (PAR), Holualoa,
Hawai‘i. http://agroforestry.net/scps
Version history: November 2009, February 2011
Series editor: Craig R. Elevitch
Publisher: Permanent Agriculture Resources (PAR), PO Box 428, Hōlualoa, Hawai‘i 96725, USA; Tel: 808-324-4427; Fax: 808-324-4129;
Email: par@agroforestry.net; Web: http://www.agroforestry.net. is institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Acknowledgments: e author and editor thank Roger Goebel, Heidi Johansen, and Francis Zee for their input. Photo contributions by
Jim Wiseman are greatly appreciated.
Reproduction: Copies of this publication can be downloaded from http://agroforestry.net/scps. Except for electronic archiving with
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Sponsor: Publication was made possible by generous support of the United States Department of Agriculture Western Region Sustainable
Agriculture Research and Education (USDA-WSARE) Program. is material is based upon work supported by the Cooperative
State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Agricultural Experiment Station, Utah State
University, under Cooperative Agreement 2007-47001-03798.
