Improving Rural Livelihoods through Domestication of Indigenous Fruit Trees in the Parklands of the Sahel - Indigenous Fruit Trees in the Tropics: Domestication, Utilization and Commercialization - page 191

than 150,000 t of dry kernel per year (Becker and Statz, 2003), accounting for
a market value of more than US$30 million. In 2004/2005 Mali exported about
10,000 t of dry kernel for about 800 million F CFA (AFE, 2006).
The fruits are important to the inhabitants of the Sahel because of their high
nutritional value (Maranz et al ., 2004). Although there is much emphasis on
shea butter for the international market, the use of the fruit pulp in the local diet
needs to be taken into consideration during the domestication of the species.
10.2.6 Ber ( Ziziphus mauritiana Lam.)
The natural distribution of ber extends from central Asia to Africa (Diallo,
2002). In West Africa, it occurs in all countries in the Sahel. Farmers rank it as
one of the most preferred fruit tree species, but the fruits are very small: farmers
are interested in Indian and Thai varieties that produce large and tasty fruits
(Kalinganire et al ., 2007).
The main use for ber is for the fruit pulp, which is consumed fresh or dry,
and also prepared into a juice. The highest potential for ber in the Sahel is for
the sale of juice, fresh fruit pulp and dry fruit paste. In Bamako, the fruit pulp
sells for about 350 F CFA/kg. In addition, the leaves are used for fodder and
the leaves, roots and bark are used for medicinal purposes. The wood is used
for handles, kitchen utensils, firewood and charcoal (Roussell, 1995; Diallo,
2001). In the Sahel ber is also used together with other tree and shrub species
to make live fences that protect crops against browsing by animals in the dry
season. It is recommended for planting along contour lines for erosion control.
10.3 Progress in Domestication and Improvement of Preferred
Species
Deforestation, overgrazing and increasing population are resulting in the
degradation of the Sahelian parklands and a decrease in the most important
indigenous fruit trees, which in turn reduces the availability of wild fruits to local
populations. Although many species with high potential for fruit production and
a wide range of products have been identified, little work has been done in the
Sahel to bring them under improved management and cultivation. In general,
progress in the domestication and improvement of indigenous fruit tree species
has been slow, mainly because of limited financial and skilled human resources.
The domestication programmes in the Sahel follow a farmer-driven and
market-led process as discussed by Simons and Leakey (2004). The process
matches the intraspecific diversity of locally important trees to the needs of
subsistence farmers, product markets and agricultural environments. It also
includes the exploration and manipulation of wild genetic resources to deliver
uses and products for maximum social benefit. Farmers' expertise is a central
part of the programme. For example, the programme includes vegetative
propagation techniques to capture and multiply the characteristics that farmers
prefer based on their expertise and market requirements.