Challenges to Stimulating the Adoption and Impact of Indigenous Fruit Trees in Tropical Agriculture - Indigenous Fruit Trees in the Tropics: Domestication, Utilization and Commercialization - page 53

often narrow (Williams and Haq, 2002). Mannan (2000) reported a large
diversity in homegardens in Bangladesh, where fruit trees are selected mostly
by farmers. Similar observations have been made by Fondoun et al . (2002)
and Leakey et al . (2004, 2005b).
3.2.3 Limitations in harvesting methods
At present, farmers use traditional methods of fruit harvesting, such as shaking
the branches or using sticks to knock the fruits to the ground, which often result
in heavy losses. Wilson (2002) reported that indigenous fruits are often picked
either when immature or at an advanced stage of maturity, when inherent
physiological developments render them more susceptible to injury if subjected
to rough handling during harvest and transportation. Kadzere et al . (2006)
examined the impacts of the time of harvesting on fruit quality, and postharvest
handling in Uapaca kirkiana .
3.2.4 Limitations in postharvest methods
Heavy postharvest losses of indigenous fruits occur due to poor packaging and
inappropriate transport conditions. Although the technology is available for
commercially important exotic species, it remains unused for indigenous fruit
trees. Commodities in their fresh state are very vulnerable to postharvest losses,
both in quantity and quality, during transportation and storage. Postharvest
losses occur at all stages of the marketing chain and observations indicate that
they could be as high as 40-60% of the harvested crop (Wilson, 2002). It is
important, therefore, to develop, adapt and transfer technology that will
minimize these losses.
3.2.5 Limitations in processing
In general, indigenous fruits are processed and used locally by families for
home consumption and for sale in the locality (Ramadhani, 2002).
Nevertheless, many of these fruits have greater potential for processing and
marketing of their products. The methods used for home-level processing are
likely to be those that have been in use for generations and are based on trial
and error rather than on scientific knowledge (Akinnifesi et al ., 2006; ICUC,
2006). However, it is likely that the technologies applied to the more
commonly marketed fruits can also be adapted to indigenous fruit species.
Processing of fresh fruits immediately after harvesting may also reduce losses
and transportation costs, as this will require less space.