When students return to school for Praveshanolsavam on June 1, a school in Kozhikode’s Kodiyathur panchayat has planned an unusual welcome gift in the form of Vietnamese jackfruit grown on its own campus.
At Pannicode UP School, preparations for the start of the new academic year have coincided with the first successful harvest from a Vietnamese jackfruit tree planted eight years ago as part of a biodiversity initiative. The fruits, nurtured over the years by students and teachers, will now be shared with the very children who helped care for the tree.
School authorities say the idea is both a celebration of the harvest and a reminder of the value of environmental stewardship.
The tree traces its origins to 2018, when the school launched a biodiversity park under the leadership of then headteacher Kusumam Thomas in connection with World Environment Day. Teachers, students and parents joined the effort, planting a variety of saplings across the campus.
PTA president Basheer, who also held the post when the project began, said the biodiversity park was envisioned as a space where children could actively participate in caring for nature.
“It wasn’t just the jackfruit tree. We planted mango trees, vegetables, tulsi plants and several other species. Everyone contributed saplings, either from nurseries or from their own homes,” he told Onmanorama.
While the tree produced only a few fruits last year, they did not mature properly. This year, however, the harvest exceeded expectations.
“Nearly 40 jackfruits have grown on the tree. We have harvested 11 fruits for ripening and distribution during Praveshanolsavam,” Basheer said.
According to school manager Kesavan Namboodiri, the particular Vietnamese jackfruit variety was introduced to the campus through a sapling brought from a teacher’s home. Over the years, it became one of the many plants maintained by the school community.
“Now that the tree has begun bearing fruit properly, we felt it would be meaningful to share the harvest with the children. After all, they have been taking care of these plants along with the teachers,” he said.
The Vietnamese variety is known for its sweetness, although its appearance is similar to the jackfruits commonly found in Kerala. Interestingly, the school authorities themselves are yet to taste the fruit.
“We are waiting for June 1. Only then will we know exactly how sweet it is,” Namboodiri said with a laugh.
