Jalpaiguri locals rush to get glimpse of rare fruit

Siliguri: A rare fruit at Luksang in Nagrakata block under Jalpaiguri district has sparked wonder among locals. Residents are rushing to the house of a teacher, Uttam Baruwa, to get a glimpse of the alien fruit, ‘Rambutan’, and taste it.

The fruit is native to southeast Asian regions. The horticulture department, however, said its cultivation will be undertaken only if there’s enough of a market.

There is limited Rambutan cultivation in the country, most of it in Kerala.

Baruwa said: “One of my relatives lives in Singapore and brought the fruit when she visited. After eating it, she kept the seed inside the bag. Two days later, we found a sapling coming out which we immediately planted. In six to seven years, it grew in to a huge tree. It has been bearing fruits for three years.”

Subasish Giri, assistant director, horticulture department, Jalapaiguri, said the fruit is the first of its kind in the region. “Cultivation is being carried out on an experimental basis in Kalyani... Earlier, Dragon fruit was very rare but now it has flourished in the market... Hopefully, Rambutan too will have the same demand,” he said.