Adding value to baobab fruits

10 Sep, 2021 - 00:09 0 Views
Adding value to baobab fruits The baobab tree is also known as the tree of life

The ManicaPost

Cletus Mushanawani
News Editor

SINCE the origins of human existence, people have looked to their natural surroundings for sources of income, nutrition and health remedies.

Also known as the tree of life, almost every part of the baobab tree is valuable.

 

The leaves are a rich vegetable, the fruit from which baobab powder is derived is especially potent, while the barks are used for rope and cloth making.

 

Its hollow trunk can also provide shelter, both to people and animals.

Driving along the Mutare-Masvingo Road, one cannot stop marvelling at the mats and other products made from baobab barks on display along the way up to Tonhorai area of Chimanimani West.

The baobab tree is a natural wonder because of its unusual root-like branches.

While there are so many fascinating things that the tree of life can contribute to mankind, more than 1 200 villagers from Chimanimani are now cashing on the numerous baobab trees found in their areas.

The trees have now become one of their major sources of income through value addition of baobab fruits.

Since its approval as a novel food ingredient by European Union food regulators in 2008, baobab products have gained increasing market, both locally and abroad.

A research which showed that baobab fruit is a powerhouse of vitamins, antioxidants and fibre and that it is packed with six times the amount of Vitamin C than what an orange contains, has resulted in many people opting for the fruits.

Buoyed by the vast business opportunities presented by the baobab tree, the 1 200 villagers in Chimanimani decided to join hands and form a private business corporation, Baomix.

Located at Gudyanga Business Centre along the Mutare-Masvingo Highway, the community through Baomix is now adding value to the baobab fruits.

In an interview last week on Friday, Baomix spokesperson, Mr Clemence Madhambure, said they were inspired by the desire to have sustainable forest and land management mechanisms to enhance ecosystem resilience for improved livelihoods.

“Having realised that most baobab trees were facing extinction due to debarking as locals were extracting the barks to make ropes and cloths, we decided to play our part in saving the trees through value addition of the fruits.

“In the past, very few people saw value in the baobab fruits, but the exposure we were given through training programmes saw us realising that there is more to gain as a community from the trees than individual projects like designing mats. We got support to embark on this project from the European Union, Food and Agriculture Organisation and Sapphire. This project is concentrated in wards five, eight and 20 although plans are afoot to expand it to neighbouring districts of Buhera and Chipinge,” he said.

Unlike some of their peers who risk both limps and lives to be illegal diamond panners at the protected Chiadzwa diamond fields, the Chimanimani villagers have struck gold with the baobab fruits as their efforts have also caught the attention of the country’s national trade development and promotion organisation, ZimTrade which is already working on modalities on how to help Baomix find international markets.

“Our operations are a win-win situation for everyone. The community members harvest the fruits from their respective areas and crack the hard shells. They extract the powder which they sell to us for US$0.30 per kilogramme. We process the powder at our plant at Gudyanga.

“We make baobab powder, oil, oil cake for stock feed and freezits. On average we can produce up to 100kg of baobab powder, 25 litres of oil and 1 500x200ml of freezits per day. This project has been a game changer as it has improved our lives, while saving the baobab trees from being attacked by fungal diseases when they are debarked. Everyone is realising the positive benefits that come with sustainable management of resources.

“As we seek to expand the baobab fruit processing, we want to rope in community members from Buhera and Chipinge where these trees are also found so that we have a wide supply base,” he said.

On the medicinal value of the fruits, Mr Madhambure said: “We engaged a researcher to find out some of the medicinal benefits of baobab fruits. His research findings were very pleasing and this inspired us to take this project seriously.

“Baobabs have significant levels of calcium, phosphorus and potassium upon which the immune system, skin, bones, mood and energy levels depend. It also has anti-inflammatory, anti-fever, analgesic, anti-microbial and anti-viral properties. Some people even use it as an antidote to poison. Our oil which we are producing here after crushing the baobab seed is now proving to be popular with many people as it also helps in reducing wrinkles.

“From the seeds, we also extract oil cake which has high nutrients for cattle, goats and chickens and the market for this product is readily available from surrounding villages.”

Although business has been going on in leaps and bounds for the rural-based entity, they are still to realise maximum benefit from their sweat.

“We are looking for bigger markets as we are currently selling our powder for US$4 per kg, yet we have discovered that some of our buyers will sell the same product for something between US$15 and US$20 per kg. We are also looking for export markets because we believe we are producing high quality products which can compete favourably on the international market,” said Mr Madhambure.

ZimTrade chief executive officer as well as Agricultural Marketing Authority board chairman, Mr Allan Majuru, said they will work with these fledgling enterprises to establish international markets for them.

“There is a lot of potential in our rural areas to contribute towards the country’s exports. Natural and organic foods are now very popular globally as people are opting for healthy eating.

‘‘We will equip them with the necessary skills to improve their scope of operation. As an export promotion board, we will not leave anyone behind to ensure that our products penetrate the international markets.

“Communities should benefit from their resources, while the nation gets the much-needed foreign currency. Let us leverage on all the low hanging fruits at our disposal. Communities endowed with resources that have a global market must take advantage of them to improve their incomes and lives,” said Mr Majuru.

 

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