Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
12 Marketing of Indigenous
Fruits in Southern Africa
T. R AMADHANI AND E. S CHMIDT
University of Hanover, Hanover, Germany
12.1 Introduction
An increase in population, a relative decline in agricultural productivity and the
accelerated food insecurity in the southern African region have raised interest in
the role of indigenous fruits in household incomes. Therefore, national
governments as well as non-governmental and international organizations have
been conducting research on ways to increase the production of fruits in the
region. Production and marketing studies were initiated in order to better
understand the prevailing production and marketing activities (Falconer, 1990;
Agyemang, 1994; Cavendish, 1997; Kadzere et al ., 1998). These studies indicated
that, traditionally, indigenous fruits were collected freely and consumed by the
rural population. As time went by, local peasants - mainly women and children
who lived on marginal lands and the landless population - started businesses to
subsidize their household incomes (Falconer, 1990; Agyemang, 1994; Cavendish,
1997; Kadzere et al ., 1998). Varieties of indigenous fruits such as Uapaca kirkiana ,
Strychnos cocculoides , Lannea edulis , Ziziphus mauritiana , Azanza garckeana ,
Adansonia digitata , Vitex mombassae and Berchemia discolor were increasingly
sold in villages, growth points and districts markets as well as city markets.
However, despite an increase in the number of people trading in indigenous
fruits, the marketing system has remained informal, with many economic
inefficiencies. For example, traditional taboos at many sites limit the production
and collection of the fruits for the market, and hence hinder efforts towards
commercialization. These traditional taboos were derived from a belief that fruits
are a gift of God and are therefore meant to benefit the whole community. The
taboos also protect the trees from unsustainable harvesting techniques. Thus,
taboos, the production/collection of indigenous fruits and marketing are linked
in a complex relationship.
Unsuitable means of transport are also an important obstacle faced by
producers, collectors and retailers. Using buses designed to carry passengers
 
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