TRICHILIA EMETICA TECHNICAL REPORT Mafurra T richilia emetica LOCAL INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE, USES AND AGROFORESTRY POTENTIAL World Agroforestry Centre TRANSFORMING LIVES AND LANDSCAPES FOOD AND AGRICULTURE Biodiversity Gender Knowledge ORGANISATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Mafurra Trichilia emetica LOCAL INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE, USES AND AGROFORESTRY POTENTIAL By: Patrick Matakala, Arnela Maússe and Alberto Macucule Maputo, June 2005 PUBLISHED BY HAMILTON-FYNCH: [email protected] WORLD AGROFORESTRY CENTER - ICRAF Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank the FAO and particularly the LiNKs Project for the financial contribution made to undertake this study. The research team would also like to thank Dr. Estevão Filimão and Ms. Gaia Segola for their comments on initial drafts of the study. The study would not have been possible without the cooperation and support of the District Directorates of Agriculture and Rural Development of Inharrime and Zavala, as well the Administrative Officer of Chidenguele Administrative Post. Special thanks go to the two technicians of Inharrime and Zavala District Directorates of Agriculture and Rural Development – Adélia and Alcides – for their guidance in the field, to all community leaders and respondents for their cooperation and friendliness. ii Trichilia emetica, Vahl. MAFURRA List of Acronyms ARIM Agronomic Research Institute of Mozambique ARTSC-Nelspruit Agricultural Research Training and Science Centre - Nelspruit ASNAPP Agribusiness in Sustainable Natural African Plant Products CPWILD Commercial Products from the Wild DDARD District Directorate of Agriculture and Rural Development EN 1 National Road Number 1 (Estrada Nacional Número 1) FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ICRAF International Centre for Research in Agroforestry MEDIMOC Medicamentos de Moçambique Mt Mozambican Metical PRA Participatory Rural Appraisal SAFIRE Southern Alliance for Indigenous Resources USD United States Dollar LOCAL INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE Mafurra TRICHILIA EMETICA iii WORLD AGROFORESTRY CENTER - ICRAF Table of Contents Acknowledgments –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ii List of Acronyms –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– iii List of Tables ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– v List of Figures –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– vi 1. INTRODUCTION –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 1 1.1 Background ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 1 1.2 Study objectives –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 2 1.2.1 General –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 2 1.2.2 Specific –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 2 2. METHODOLOGY––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 3 2.1 General methodology and study area description –––––––––––––––––––––––––– 3 2.2 Phases of the study –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 5 2.2.1 Study preparation –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 5 2.2.2 Field work –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 5 2.2.3 Reporting––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 6 3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 7 3.1 Household composition and structure ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 7 3.2 Perceptions and local knowledge –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 8 3.3 Mafurra processing and other uses ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 11 3.4 Marketing of mafurra and its by-products ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 14 3.5 Species propagation and cultivation ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 17 3.6 Pests and diseases –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 18 3.7 Mafurra potentials and traits for improvement –––––––––––––––––––––––––––24 20 3.8 The contribution of mafurra to household food security –––––––––––––––––––– 22 4. CONCLUSIONS AN RECOMMENDATIONS ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 25 4.1 Conclusions ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 25 4.2 Recommendations –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 26 Annex 1: Field survey questionnaire ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 28 Annex 2: Names of interviewees by gender, age, occupation and study area location –––––––– 34 Annex 3: Flowering, maturation and harvesting seasons of different types of mafurra according to interviewees in Inharrime, Zavala and Chidenguele districts ––––––––– 41 iv Trichilia emetica, Vahl. MAFURRA List of Tables Table 3.1: Summary of interviewees by gender and study location ––––––––––––– 8 Table 3.2: Summary of household composition and structure by gender and study area location ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 8 Table 3.3: Characterization of different types of mafurra identified within the study area ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 9 Table 3.4: Common names of different types of mafurra cited in the study areas and frequency distribution of the responses –––––––––––––––––––––––– 10 Table 3.5: Level of preference for types of mafurra between male and female respondents –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 11 Table 3.6: Prices for different types of mafurra types and their by-products within the study area. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 15 Table 3.7: Local names of pests and diseases common on mafurra within the study area and frequency of responses ––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 18 Table 3.8: Description of common pests and diseases found on mafurra and some local control measures practiced by respondents within the study area. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 20 Table 3.9: Priority traits identified by respondents for improvement to enhance mafurra production within the study area–––––––––––––––––––––––––– 21 Table 3.10: Contribution of mafurra to food security and improved local diets.––––– 23 LOCAL INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE Mafurra TRICHILIA EMETICA v WORLD AGROFORESTRY CENTER - ICRAF List of Figures Figure 1: Location of study areas in Inhambane and Gaza Provinces.–––––––––––– 4 Figure 2: Color differentiation of mafurra types found in the study area. –––––––––––– 9 Figure 3: Drying of mafurra fruit in the sun. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 12 Figure 4: Boiling of mafurra to obtain oil and dry pulp. –––––––––––––––––––––––– 12 Figure 5: Selling of mafurra fruit at a local roadside market in Chidenguele.––––––––– 14 Figure 6: Illustration of local conservation methods of fresh mafurra during commercialization. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 16 Figure 7: Consumption of boiled cassava dipped in mafurra oil (munhantsi) over breakfast –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 22 vi Trichilia emetica Vahl. Mafurra 1. Introduction 1.1 BACKGROUND Mafurreira (Trichilia emetica Vahl.) the mafurra tree––is a valuable oil-producing tree species that belongs to the Maleaceae family and grows successfully in Mozambique. The species is well adapted to different agro-ecological conditions, but is mainly found along the coastal lowlands in the southern part of the country where it is commonly integrated in local agroforestry practices. Mafurra mainly grows in the wild but it is also widely propagated by farmers, especially women, through seed, rootstocks and wild seedlings on-farm and near homesteads. In urban areas, mafurra is also frequently used for ornamental purposes and as a shade tree. LOCAL INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE Mafurra TRICHILIA EMETICA 1 WORLD AGROFORESTRY CENTER - ICRAF LOCAL INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE The mafurra tree has significant cultural and socio-economic value in Mozambique, The importance of especially in the southern part of the country. It is commonly used for spiritual cere- mafurra goes beyond monies that involve pledging to ancestors, and in the identification of graves in family Mafurracemeteries. In addition, mafurra fruits are widely consumed and sold during the immediate local season, especially by women. consumption in its crude TRICHILIA EMETICA form, as it is also locally There are many types of mafurra mainly identified by the colour of the pericarp (the edible cover of the seed) such as red and white mafurra, and also by size of the processed by women into fruits, such as big and small mafurra seeds/fruits. White mafurra is the most an edible oil (called preferred for both local consumption and for sale because it is more palatable and munhantsi) and pulp has more pulp. However, there are a few families who own or produce mafurra trees (called xibehe) mainly due to the difficulties associated with propagation of the species such as poor germination capacity and seedling survival. During the harvest season from November-March, households with larger quantities, and especially women, supply urban markets in order to raise and increase family income to support other basic needs. The importance of mafurra goes beyond immediate local consumption in its crude form, as it is also locally processed by women into edible oil (called munhantsi) and pulp (called xibehe) that improve local diets and are used as food sources, particularly during post-harvest periods that are characterized by high food shortages. However, there are many limitations in relation to the handling and conservation of fresh fruits and seeds, as fruits mature in short periods, thereby demanding a lot of Most rural communities effort by women in fruit collection and drying to avoid deterioration. There are also have access only to natural many losses of fruit experienced as a direct consequence of high