Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
wasted (Kwesiga et al ., 2000; Ramadhani, 2002). Postharvest decay can be a
serious problem in many fruits undergoing storage. Most instances of
postharvest decay are the result of mechanical injury during harvesting and
transport (Kadzere et al ., 2006c). This is due to high pH (5-8), moisture
content (60-90%) and limited knowledge of fruit handling and marketing.
Reducing postharvest losses of indigenous fruits through appropriate storage
and conservation techniques will ensure sustainable supplies of quality fruits
and the provision of a wide range of products (Kadzere et al ., 2001). The major
causes of fruit losses are mechanical damage due to cracking, compression and
bruising during harvesting and transport, insect and pest damage, and
overripening (Saka et al ., 2002; Kadzere et al ., 2006a, b).
The overall objectives of domesticating and commercializing fruits from
indigenous trees are to improve rural livelihoods - nutritional status, household
income, entrepreneurial opportunities and economic empowerment - and to
promote the conservation of biodiversity and the sustainable use of natural
resources. This synthesis provides an overview of efforts in domesticating
indigenous fruit trees as tree crops, and commercializing their products. This
chapter is a product of several years of research by a large team of specialists in
the southern Africa region and beyond.
8.2 Strategy for Commoditizing Indigenous Fruit Trees
Despite the fact that indigenous fruits are well known, consumed and traded
among local consumers, very little success has been achieved with their
cultivation as tree crops or in their commercialization as products.
Commoditizing fruits from the miombo woodlands in southern Africa as tree
crops involves a long-term iterative and integrated strategy for tree selection
and improvement, for the promotion, use and marketing of selected products,
and for their integration into agroforestry practices (Akinnifesi et al. , 2006a).
The following are the key components of this strategy:
Verification of the importance and potential of indigenous fruits in the rural
economy.
Initiation of a tree domestication programme to select and improve
germplasm.
Development and promotion of indigenous fruit production using new
cultivars.
Commercialization of new products through a functional supply chain (fruit
storage and processing, product quality assurance, adding value,
marketing research, rural revenue generation and enterprise development).
8.2.1 Importance and prioritization of indigenous fruit trees
To understand the importance and role of miombo indigenous fruit trees in the
overall livelihood security of communities, several assessments were undertaken.
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