JOLO, Sulu – Varieties of exotic fruits continue to flood local markets here as the peace and order situation in the province has improved during the past few months, Mayor Hussin Amin said yesterday.

Amin said durian (Durio zibethinus) continued to dominate the market followed by mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), and lanzones (Lansium domesticum) where traders here are selling the exotic fruits at very low and affordable prices.

The mayor said that “because there are so much fruits in Jolo now, a medium-sized durian now sells for only P10 each, while a kilo of mangosteen sells at P5 and lanzones at only P3 per kilo, inducing many local residents here to feast on it in making homemade fruit jams.”

Most of these home-made fruit jams can be bought at sidewalks of this capital town, and at the local wharf and airport here.

“The bountiful harvest of exotic fruits this season is because of the very much improved peace condition in the province. Most farmers are not afraid to harvest their fruits because there are no military operations or rebels attacking some villages in the province,” the mayor here said.

Durian grown in Sulu is considered as the best in the country because of its incomparable taste of sweet white and yellow flesh, he added.

In Zamboanga City, a medium-sized durian now sells at between P30 to P40 while the larger size sells between P50 to P70 each.

Meanwhile, Muslims in this part of the country are now busy preparing for the Islamic festival “Eid’l Fitr” on September 9 or 10 marking the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan.