Asian foods Priority products information August 2017 Overview This presentation covers: – Land-based plant products – Land-based animal products – Water-based products Within each of these, they are organised broadly in descending order based on: – Asian market (multiple country consumption, significant use) and overlap with African market – Suitability of production conditions (noting that some will need tunnel/irrigation, especially to have year-round production) Coverage for each product includes names, production requirements, usage, and available information on costs/economics. Explanations Production information: Key sources have included: http://www.prota4u.org/; www.daff.gov.za; http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/CropOp/en/spec_veg/index.html Fresh produce market prices and tonnage: Monthly and annual information is based on DAFF statistics. http://www.daff.gov.za/daffweb3/Home/Crop-Estimates/Statistical-Information/Fresh-Produce Not all products are recorded; in some cases if a more specific relevant product is available as a spot price on Cape Town Fresh Produce market site this has also been included. https://www.ctmarket.co.za/daily-prices/ Cape Town retail prices Prices were gathered in August 2017 based on physical visits and telephonic enquiries to. Rylands Suprete; Shayona (Rylands);New Asia (Sea Point); N1 Chinese Supermarket; Winfield Asian Supermarket (Parklands); Atlas (Bo Kaap); Shoprite (Athlone); Pick ‘n Pay Gardens; Woolworths Gardens Centre; Fruit & Veg (Kenilworth); Indigo; Fish for Africa Allies Butchery Wembley Meat Market ; Busy Corner Meat Hyper. FAO prices and Figures : FAO figures were sourced from FAOSTAT: http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data . There are a mix of official statistics submitted by countries and FAO-calculated figures. Prices in US Dollars are equal to producer prices in local currency times the exchange rate of the selected year. The main exchange rates source used is the IMF. Figures relate to the total domestic production whether inside or outside the agricultural sector, i.e. it includes non-commercial production and production from kitchen gardens. Yields: Kaiser has calculated weighted averages for the regions based on hectares for each available country/sub-region. LAND-BASED PLANT PRODUCTS Abelmoschus esculentus – Okra Annual, erect herb Other names: Common ladies’ fingers, bhindi Consumed in: India and China (Also in various locations in Africa including South Africa, small-scale production in Philippi, W. Cape) AGRONOMICS • Days to harvest: 49+ days after sowing and at intervals of 2-3 days • Temperatures above 20oC daytime and 30-35oC for germination, temperatures should not go below 13oC; sensitive to frost • Rainfall and water: Requires 400mm of rainfall during the growing season • Soil type: Performs well in all types of soil, but prefers well-drained sandy and loamy soils • pH: Average between 6 to 7 • Can also be found from sea level up to 1,000m • Pests and diseases: Fungal diseases (Damping-off, vascular wilt, cercospora blight, powdery mildew), Viral diseases (OkMV, OLCV), nematodes, stem borers, whitefly, flea beetles USAGE IN ASIA • Plant parts used: Fruit, leaves, seeds • Food uses: Vegetable, used in soup and sauces • Format of consumption: Fresh • Other uses: Medicinal use, bark fibre for game traps and fishlines, rope, paper and cardboard HARVEST AND POST-HARVEST TREATMENT • Should be harvested while still tender, and two to three times a week as regular picking increases yield • Needs to be handled carefully to avoid bruising. Cotton gloves are recommended – also as small spines can cause an allergic reaction. • Optimum storage temperature: 7 to 10°C • Relative humidity: 95 to100% is needed to retard dehydration, pod toughening, and loss of fresh appearance. • Freeze damage: Occurs at temperatures of -1.8° and below Abelmoschus esculentus – Okra ECONOMICS SA PRICE AND VOLUMES Cape Town retail prices: • Ranges between R70 and R90 per kg (22 August 2017 spot prices) Fresh produce market statistics: • Tonnes sold (Jan to June 2017) : CPT: 5; CPT: 28; JNB: 678 • Average price/kg (Jan to June 2017): CT: R19.81; DBN: R10.70; JNB: R11.70 CTFPM Okra sales price and volumes trends: Annual trends Monthly 60.0 1800 7820 30.00 7700 1600 24.32 50.0 1530 1400 25.00 6600 20.75 40.0 1200 1170 20.00 5500 1000 30.0 4710 4400 820 570 800 15.00 15.55 20.0 620 610 600 3720 3300 100 400 10.00 10.0 450 2200 240 200 10 5.00 0.0 0 1100 0.00 0 R/kg 2014 2015 2016 kg sold sold kg R/kg kg sold sold kg R/kg kg sold R/kg kg sold INTERNATIONAL YIELD AND PRICE DATA • Yield in Asia (FAO 2014 data, tonnes/ha): 11.78 (Weighted average: South Eastern Asia and Southern Asia) • Ranges from 11.91 (India, tonnage n/a) to 14.46 (Malaysia,45,130 tonnes) • Producer price (FAO 2015 $/kg): $0.71 (Weighted average: Southern Asia, Eastern Asia and South-Eastern Asia) • Ranges between $0.45 per kg (Phillippines, 30 274 tonnes produced) to $0.96 per kg (Malaysia). Brassica rapa var. chinensis, parachinensis – Bok choi Annual plants Other names: Chinese chard,Tatsoi/ rosette bok choy / pak choy (Brassica rapa var. rosularis), Pak Choi Chinese celery cabbage, Chinese white cabbage, buk choy, and petsa. Consumed in: China AGRONOMICS • Days to harvest: 35 to 55 days • Temperatures: 15 to 20°C. • Sun: Requires 3 to 12 hours of direct sunlight per day. • Soil type: Rich, loamy soils with high fertility, organic matter and water retention • pH: Average between 6.0 to 7.5 • Pests and diseases: common pests are green looper caterpillars, cabbage caterpillars, cutworm, aphids, snails and slugs. Common deseases are Erwinia carotovora, Albugo candida (white rust) and Rhizoctonia USAGE IN ASIA • Plant parts used: Stalk and leaves • Format of consumption: Used fresh and raw in salads and meals ECONOMICS • Cape Town retail spot prices: R20-30/kg Solanum melongena L. – Eggplant Annual plant Other names: Aubergine Thailand: ma khuea yaao, ma kuea; China: si kwa, chieh tse; India: badanjan, baingan, baingun, Indonesia: terong; Japan: nasubi; Malaysia: terung; Philippines: talong; Sri Lanka: wam batu; Vietnam: ca phao, ca tim. Consumed in: China, across South-East Asia, India (also in various locations in Africa) AGRONOMICS • Days to harvest: 112 to 168 days • Temperatures: average of 24°C but can also tolerate a decrease of up to 21°C • Sun: Requires full sun and they are very sensitive to cool weather • Rainfall/water: 1 850m3 per/ha • Soil type: well-draining, fertile soil other source says (well-drained sandy loam, loam, or clay loam soils). • pH: Average between 5.5 to 6.5 • Pests & diseases: Phomopsis blight, Phytophtora blight, southern blight, early blight. USAGE IN ASIA • Plant parts used: Entire fruit • Format of consumption: important ingredient in curries, sambhars and chutneys (India). HARVESTING Harvest of eggplant usually starts 75 to 90 days after transplanting or 15 to 35 days after flowering expansion. Fruit is harvested when it reaches market size, and the skin is glossy, but before seeds begin to enlarge significantly and mature. ECONOMICS Cape Town retail spot prices : R30-R66/kg • Yield in Asia (FAO 2014 data, tonnes/ha): 27.31 (Weighted average: South Eastern Asia and Southern Asia) , ranges from 36.76 (China,~30m tonnes) to 10.94 (Indonesia, 557,053 tonnes) • Producer price (FAO 2015 $/kg): $1.55 (Weighted average: Southern Asia, Eastern Asia and South-Eastern Asia), ranges between $0.41 per kg (Philippines, 225,579 tonnes produced) to $2.80 per kg (Japan, 322,700 tonnes produced). Cajanus cajan – Pigeon peas Annual plant Other names: Congo pea, red gram, yellow dahl (English); ambrévade, pois d’Angole (French); straucherbse, tuver (India); feijoa-guandu, kachang (Asia). Consumed in: India (Toor / Chana/ Masoor), Bangladesh (Gram), Pakistan (Arhar) (also in various locations in Africa) AGRONOMICS • Days to harvest: 60 to 106 days • Temperatures: Average between 18ºC and 30ºC • Sun: Prefers full sunlight but can tolerate some shading during the vegetative growth phase • Rainfall/water: Flowers well where rainfall is between 1 500 to 2 000mm. However, on deep, well-structured soil will grow where rainfall is between 250 to 375mm • Soil type: Can be grown on a wide range of soil textures, from sands to heavy black clays but needs free-drainage • pH: Average between 5 to 8. Sensitive to salt spray, high salinity and to water logging. • Altitude: between 0m to 1250m • Pests and diseases: attacked by caterpillars, pod borers, gall fly, wilt (Fusarium udum) and leaf spot. USAGE IN ASIA • Plant parts used: Seeds (fresh or dried) • Food uses: often used for sauces accompanying staple food preparations such as cassava, yam and rice. Ripe seeds are eaten fried or boiled, often after being soaked first, or boiled into porridge/dhal for consumption. • Format of consumption: Soaked and boiled. ECONOMICS • FAO Farmer price (where available): (fresh): $0.77/kg • Cape Town retail spot prices: R65/kg fresh Amaranthus cruentus-Chinese spinach Annual. or short-lived perennial plant Other names: Edible amaranth, red herb, wild blite, careless weed Consumed in: India (Pasalai Keerai / Palak), Bangladesh, Pakistan, Thailand, Korea, Malaysia, China (also in various locations in Africa). AGRONOMICS • Days to harvest: 21 to 28 days • Temperatures: average between 18°C and 25°C to germinate and above 25°C for optimum growth. • Sun: Requires 15 hours or less of sunlight. • Rainfall/water: Irrigation required for dry season and can tolerate drought once established. • Soil type: Can cope in marginal soils, but will do best on fertile, well-drained soils and deeper soils. • pH: average between 3 to 8 • Altitude: Between 1,000m and 2,400m • Pests and diseases: One possible problem is a damping-off fungus, which can kill seedlings. Leaf amaranth suffers damage from the armyworm and the curly top virus disease. USAGE IN ASIA • Plant parts used: Leaves and grain • Food uses: Leaf amaranth is used as a steamed vegetable in soups and stews.