Product Development: Nutritional Value, Processing and Utilization of Indigenous Fruits from the Miombo Ecosystem - Indigenous Fruit Trees in the Tropics: Domestication, Utilization and Commercialization - page 294

greater variety at table. Fruits are processed into juice and alcoholic drinks in
Tanzania (Tiisekwa et al ., 2004). Consumers in the rural areas prefer processed
products (jams, juices, wines, etc.) from fruits such as Syzygium guineense
(wine), Tamarindus indica (juice and jam), Adansonia digitata (as a source of
pectin for jam) and Vitex mombassae (juice). The urban communities were
willing to consume juices and jams from S. guineense , T. indica and A. digitata .
The wine from the cherry Rosa roxburghii and cashew apple ( Anacardium
occidentale ) is also highly preferred (Ndabikunze et al ., 2000) by both rural and
urban communities. A similar pattern of utilization has been reported in the
Tabora region of Tanzania.

16.3.4 Increasing local capacity for fruit processing

Capacity-building is critical at all levels for the successful domestication and
commercialization of indigenous fruits (Akinnifesi, 2001). Farmers need training
in several areas, including processing, standards, business management and
marketing information (Dietz, 1999). ICRAF and its collaborating partners in
three countries have trained over 400 trainers (mostly women) in processing
indigenous fruits into juices, jams and wine (Table 16.3) (Saka et al ., 2004).
This is necessary in order to sustain greater value addition to this important
regional resource. The recent discovery and subsequent utilization of ng'ongo
pori ( Sclerocarya birrea ) by the Mwamko Women's Group in Kipera village in
Mlali Morogoro, Tanzania, has enabled them to increase their income by
processing the fruit into jam (Lyimo and Tiisekwa, 2000).
Farmers have also undergone training in basic management skills in quality
assurance, entrepreneurship, marketing (including marketing research), costing
and pricing, stock control, record keeping and business planning (Saka et al .,
2004). Training in quality assurance and management of the fresh and finished
products will increase the utilization and acceptance of indigenous fruits at the
household level and in urban and more affluent communities.

16.4 Nutritional Value of Fresh and Processed Products

People in drought-prone areas live on diets deficient in energy, protein and
micronutrients. For a long time, these people have been depending on forest

Table 16.3. Training of indigenous fruit processors in Tanzania, Zambia and Malawi.

First generation Second generation

Country No. of farmer trainers No. of groups No. of farmers

Tanzania 198 43 2045

Malawi 120 150 1875

Zambia 115 5 77

Total 433 198 3997

Source: Saka et al. (2004).