New Delhi, July 10 -- The winning entry at the jackfruit festival in Melmampattu village in Panruti taluk in May weighed 72 kilograms. But locals say they have seen bigger fruit. In Panruti, Tamil Nadu's jackfruit-growing heartland in Cuddalore district, the fruits typically weigh between 8kg and at times even 120kg. During the peak season of April and May, jackfruits weighing 90-100kg arrive at Panruti's wholesale jackfruit market almost every day.

Panruti is about 4 hours by road from Chennai. While Tripura and Kerala are better known for their scale of production, Panruti is one of the few places in India where jackfruit is cultivated as a commercial monocrop. It's also the only place in the country where jackfruit is available 365 da...