Creating Opportunities for Domesticating and Commercializing Miombo Indigenous Fruit Trees in Southern Africa - Indigenous Fruit Trees in the Tropics: Domestication, Utilization and Commercialization - page 141

users, marketers and consumers, and that they have wide geographical
distribution, consumption and marketing potential. As a rule it is expected that
species to be selected for domestication should be widely consumed by the
local population and the excess products should be marketable - selection is
driven by consumption and markets. In this respect, although Sclerocarya
birrea was not mentioned by the local communities in most countries as a
priority fruit species (probably because it is rarely consumed fresh and needs
processing), it was included as priority species because of its market potential.
The flesh of Sclerocarya birrea (marula) fruit contains 180 mg vitamin C per
100 g, surpassing orange, grapefruit, mango and lemon. The kernels are rich in
food energy, containing almost 3000 kJ per 100 g. Moreover, Sclerocarya
birrea is probably the only miombo indigenous fruit species that has made it to
the international market: the liqueur Amarula Cream, made from the fruit of
Sclerocarya birrea by Distell Corporation in South Africa, is sold in 63
countries worldwide, with significant benefits to the rural communities (Ham,
2005). Emphasis on Parinari curatellifolia as a 'spearhead' species was
reduced, despite its high preference (Franzel et al ., Chapter 1, this volume),
because it was less amenable to asexual propagation methods. Other country-
specific or less valued species were considered as 'shield' species, i.e. species
that are important for the on-farm maintenance of genetic biodiversity. Recent
species priority-setting studies have shown not only that farmers are interested
in indigenous fruits but also that they rate exotics, such as mangoes, citrus,
avocado, banana and papaya, very highly (Franzel et al ., Chapter 1, this
volume). In most cases, mangoes and citrus ranked above indigenous fruit
trees, and Uapaca kirkiana , Strychnos cocculoides and Ziziphus mauritiana are
the only species mentioned among the top ten fruits in Malawi.
There is significant consumption in both rural and urban areas, with higher
consumption in the rural areas and more trade in the urban and semi-urban
areas. A similar trend in preferences by farmers was also shown by market
consumers. In a market survey, Ramadhani (2002) asked consumers the
following question: 'If you have enough money for buying only seven types of
fruit, including indigenous fruits, apples, mangoes and oranges, which ones are
you likely to buy (first to seventh)?' Although the question was already biased
towards the named fruit species, it gave an indication of relative preference.
The responses were ranked as follows (most preferred species first): apple
( Malus domestica ), orange ( Citrus sinensis ), mango ( Mangifera indica ), Uapaca
kirkiana , Ziziphus mauritiana , Azanza garckeana , Adansonia digitata and
Strychnos cocculoides . The trend was the same for Uapaca kirkiana and
Strychnos cocculoides buyers. However, when the results were recalculated, the
trend changed slightly: U. kirkiana ranked third instead of fourth and M. indica
ranked fourth instead of third (Table 8.1). This shows that the method of
analysis can influence the priority-setting results (Franzel et al ., Chapter 1, this
volume). Willingness to buy indigenous fruits showed the following order (most
preferred species first): Uapaca kirkiana ,

Strychnos cocculoides , Azanza

garckeana , Ziziphus mauritiana and Adansonia digitata.
In a market survey conducted in the southern region of Malawi, Mmangisa
(2006) found that the consumer preferences were in the following order (most