Setting the stage for commercial production of high value market products from edible wild fruits

Overview

This project aims to create an incentive for the long-term sustenance of biodiversity on farmlands in parts of Uganda’s north-eastern dryland SEPL. The project is a step towards commercializing the production of high-value market products from edible wild fruits. It builds on previous work that demonstrated the feasibility of production and the potential acceptability of such products in the market. Under this project, we will finalize wine production protocols for two fruit types and produce samples of the final products. We will work with an IPSI member who is engaged in wine production in Italy to exchange knowledge and experiences of needs on adapting production protocols, equipment, and facilities to a real-world situation outside government laboratories. Because our previous experience showed that for some of the fruit varieties that we used, variation may have been a determinant of the quality of the end products, we will run experiments to select the plant varieties that produce the best wine. We will use the experience gained from propagation trials to run experiments that will allow us to determine the number of seedlings that can be produced from a given quantity of fruits of each species. The seedlings produced will be supplied to willing farmers. We expect the opportunity created for farmers to sell fruits to incentivize them to retain the plants, boost their populations, and ultimately increase the appreciation of biodiversity and encourage its retention on farmlands. Except for a few laboratory tests of fruits, all activities will be carried out in the fruit source area.
The objectives are to (i) identify farmers with Flacourtia spp. and Carissa edulis plants on their land and committed to supplying fruits, (ii) define material, equipment, and facility needs for wine production at small, medium, and large scales, (iii) revise and finalize wine production formulas and protocols for two fruit types, (iv) within the two focal species, to select fruit varieties that produce the best wine, and (v) generate knowledge that will inform future production of seedlings for supply to farmers.

Planned activities:

• (1) Identify farmers with fruit trees with help of 2 assistants, and train assistants on phenology monitoring.
• (2) Select a few of the plants for phenology monitoring in a manner that is spatially representative of the project area and monitor them.
• (3) Rent production and storage room and set it up.
• (4) Collect and transport fruits to the production facility.
• (5) Work with the advisor from Italy on production protocols and storage space design.
• (6) Obtain equipment and conduct tests.
• (7) Purchase product packaging materials.
• (8) Produce samples of the final products.
• (9) Determine the number of seedlings produced per unit quantity of fruit.
• (10) Administer the project.