Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
preferred species first):
Mangifera indica
,
Citrus sinensis
(orange),
Malus
domestica
,
Uapaca kirkiana
,
Ziziphus mauritiana
,
Adansonia digitata
,
Azanza
garckeana
and
Strychnos cocculoides
(Table 8.1). The consumer survey results
were different from earlier household or farmer surveys (Malembo
et al.
, 1998)
but similar to those of Ramadhani (2002). In the Malawi surveys,
Uapaca
kirkiana
was the only indigenous fruit tree that featured in the top four, and
Ziziphus mauritiana
appeared in the top five most preferred fruits.
Mangifera
indica
and
Citrus sinensis
were the two exotic fruits most preferred by
consumers.
Market research using conjoint analysis showed that, for the fresh market,
improvement effort should focus on quality by releasing trees with bigger fruits
with brown colour and round appearance for
Uapaca kirkiana
(Mmangisa,
2006). Buyer characteristics and preference differences between males and
females and according to education status reflect market segmentation potential.
The farmers also identified the need for improvement of tree precocity and
fruit quality attributes. Farmers wanted improvements in fruit size (amount of
edible pulp), sweeter taste, higher yields, improved shelf life, larger tree size, and
pest and disease resistance (Maghembe
et al.
, 1998). Fruit precocity was the major
interest of most farmers, as they wanted quick returns for their crops, just as they
did from exotics. The next most important trait for improvement was fruit size.
Since there are characters that can be manipulated by vegetative propagation and
clonal selection, this activity received priority in the domestication programme.
However, because of the lack of knowledge about propagation techniques,
seedling production and tree husbandry skills, uncertain markets and low prices,
and because of the free availability of fruits from the forests, few farmers had
planted indigenous fruits trees.
8.2.2 Economics of production, wild collection and marketing
Several studies have shown that households benefit from the consumption and
sale of indigenous fruit trees in southern Africa (Kaaria, 1998; Mithöfer, 2005;
Ramadhani and Schmidt, Chapter 12, this volume). Tree cultivation requires
ex
ante
analysis of the farmers' needs, resource endowments, and the economic
benefits to be derived. Mithöfer (2005) conducted field surveys on 303
households in 2000 to determine the collection and use of indigenous fruits
and the contribution of indigenous fruit trees to household economy and
poverty reduction. The study showed that fruit could provide a cushioning
effect against poverty during critical periods of hunger and famine, especially
during the period from August to January each year.
Results of an economic model on fruit trees show that, despite the
availability of wild fruits, improvements in tree yield and earlier fruiting will
create incentives for farmers to cultivate indigenous fruits (Mithöfer and Waibel,
2003). The model incorporated risk-coping strategies that assumed that
households can: (i) access additional sources of cash (such as from farming,
livestock, exotic fruits and remittances); and (ii) increase indigenous fruit
collection from the wild. Income from farming showed negative covariance
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