Title:

Marula Resource Survey: A report on the Sclerocarya birrea tree population and the availability of its fruits in Northcentral Namibia

Author(s):
Publication Year:
2010
Abstract:

This report summarizes the results of a marula fruit resource survey that was conducted by CRIAA SA-DC in cooperation with the Eudafano Women Cooperative in a number of selected areas in the Oshana, Ohangwena, Oshikoto, and Omusati regions. It was funded by the Indigenous Plant Task Team (IPTT), through the Namibian Agronomic Board (NAB). The main aim of the survey was to establish whether sufficient amounts of marula fruits are available to justify the development of further commercial opportunities around this resource. The development of Namibia's marula fruit industry has reached a stage where it has to show that it has enough of a resource to warrant a serious investment, and/or that it has plans to increase and improve its marula resource base. The increased propagation and cultivation of improved marula strains is being promoted by the Directorate of Forestry. The marula resource survey aims to address the question whether a commercially viable resource is available. Without additional investments in chemical analyses and the development of processing methods, this resource survey information alone will not guarantee advancement of marula fruit commercialisation. However, just knowing with some degree of certainty how much marula is (or can be) available for processing is an essential piece of the puzzle, regardless of when the technical work is done and how it is funded.

Item Type:
Report
Language:
en
Files:
Attachment Size
Marual Survey Report.pdf 897.52 KB