Marketing of Indigenous Fruits in Southern Africa - Indigenous Fruit Trees in the Tropics: Domestication, Utilization and Commercialization - page 226

Unlike the marketing system for exotic fruits, the local fruits were not graded,
packed or even washed. Wholesalers and producers explained that this was a
result of their belief that the fruits were picked clean from the trees and hence
did not need any additional preparation before sale.
In contrast, retailers sold fruits based on 'natural differentiation'. This
involved different sizes (small, medium, large), different colours (brown, yellow)
and different levels of freshness. Also, there was a tendency towards simple
active product differentiation by means of washing, sorting and packing.
Almost 90% of U. kirkiana fruit retailers sorted out the rotten fruits and washed
the fruits. In some cases they sorted the fruits according to size and filled them
into selling utensils such as plates, bowls and cups. They also packed the fruits
in plastic bags weighing 300-500 g. The remaining 10% of retailers, however,
did not undertake any presale activities, contending that the practice of
washing and packing in bags increased perishability.
Consumers, however, increasingly preferred to buy clean, graded and
packed fruits. For example they revealed preferences for even simple presale
activities of sellers. Astonishingly, these changing consumer attitudes seemed
not to be directly included in the presale activities of profit planning and
budgeting. According to the results of a retailers' rapid appraisal, presale
activities were not targeted towards price increments or profit increase, but
mainly towards improving hygiene and attracting customers. In terms of
marketing theory, this is at least a starting point to establish some sort of
preference strategy. In order to develop measures to translate consumer
preferences of indigenous fruits into price and profit increases; there is a need
for further research. This seems to be particularly important because the price
formation process for indigenous fruits differs significantly from the general
price formation system prevailing in the market for food and other consumer
goods in Zimbabwe.
12.2.3 Prices, price information and variation
During the period of this study, there was no established formal price
information system for indigenous fruits. Consequently, day trading determined
the market exchange of the fruits. The prevalence of short-term and more or
less random contacts between sellers and buyers accounted for the use of cash
as the common method of payment for both U. kirkiana and S. cocculoides
fruits. In rare cases, U. kirkiana fruits were sold on credit, without interest or
higher prices. Also, there was no evidence of contractual arrangements
between buyers and sellers. According to the rapid market appraisal conducted
in the 1999/2000 ripening season, the major source of price information for
producers/collectors was information from neighbours, friends and colleagues
who had visited the markets during the selling season. Lack of information
caused pronounced price differences between regions and even within a given
market place. In Gokwe, for example, both retailers and producers were
unaware of the prices of similar fruits sold in other areas of the country. This
might have resulted from the remoteness of Gokwe and poor communication.