Opportunities for Commercialization and Enterprise Development of Indigenous Fruits in Southern Africa - Indigenous Fruit Trees in the Tropics: Domestication, Utilization and Commercialization - page 267

Table 14.4. Advantages and disadvantages of community-level primary processing.

Advantages Disadvantages

Producers Reliable alternative source of income Quantity and quality of fruit available

from fruits that would otherwise not reliable, therefore income not

be wasted guaranteed

Reliable alternative source of income Prices may be too low to be viable

from primary processing activities Harvesting season may interfere with

Profit share and/or community projects other activities (e.g. farming,

if company is fair trade child-rearing)

No skills or education required Income only during harvesting season

Opportunities for women to become Commercial partner may decide not to

more self-reliant produce product every year if sales

Increased incomes result in more are slow

money being spent in the community Commercial partner may go out of

Seasonal work so can concentrate on business or discontinue product

farming activities
Recognition of contribution through
acknowledgement on packaging
and marketing activities of company

Processors Transportation of pulp cheaper Members of group may change, which

than fruits could necessitate retraining each year

Cheaper labour than in cities Hygiene standards may not be good

Minimal skills or training required enough

Minimal overheads Group may not be efficient enough to

Social aspect of community level produce required quantities of pulp

involvement (fair trade) good Communication problems with rural

for marketing areas

Transportation problems: distances
and state of roads
Prices may be too high to be viable

products, but a couple are dependent on subcontractors and other organizations
to assist with processing. The Southern Alliance for Indigenous Resources
(SAFIRE) and PhytoTrade Africa play the biggest roles in supporting these
institutions. Assistance is also coming from People and Plants UNESCO/WWF,
the Plant Oil Producers Association (POPA), Agribusiness in Sustainable Natural
African Plant Products (ASNAPP), Cultural Relations and Indigenous Awareness
Associates (CRIAA), etc.
3. The Zimbabwean organizations are very well connected to international
trading partners. Trading partners include fair traders: e.g. Oxfam (Australia),
Commercio Alternativo (Italy), Fruxotic (Germany). Products are exported to
Japan, Australia, Italy, Germany, South Africa and the UK. A large percentage
of the products are sold to pharmaceutical and food-processing industries. It is
interesting to note that products are targeted at higher-income, environmentally
aware consumers and tourists.
4. The organizations consulted in Botswana and Namibia are all trading in
fruit trees or products. Three of the organizations have an annual trade value of