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A research scientist has called on Kenyans not to ignore consumption of indigenous fruits since they are of high health and nutritional value.
Emily Kitheka, acting deputy regional director at Kitui Kefri centre, said that communities in drylands where the fruits abound were ignorant the fruits could guard against life threatening ailments.
She said during a recent interview in her office that the indigenous fruits contain bioactive compounds or antioxidants that protect against cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Kitheka said that indigenous fruits have high dietary fibre and low carbohydrates crucial for weight loss, improvement of human body digestive functions and low insulin demand for diabetic patients.
“They are known to be good in vitamin C and A. They are very rich in iron. These have very important micronutrients which most communities in arid and semi-arid lands are known to lack,” the scientist said.
She said additionally indigenous fruits had the potential to provide food security and to alleviate poverty and malnutrition in dryland areas that are frequently visited by famine.
The scientist added that indigenous fruits could be sold to buy food and other household goods. She further said they could be sources of income by supplying local markets and commercial users.
But with the high value associated with the indigenous fruits, the researcher is concerned about lack of domestication, of high consumption and of proper marketing of the traditional fruit species.
Kitheka said that government and NGO agricultural extension officers only concentrate on exotic like mangoes, papaya, oranges and passion fruits.
“Adults view indigenous fruits as food for children who should eat them while grazing livestock. The fruits are not viewed as meant for adults except for baobab and tamarind which have won some acceptance,” she said.
“People lack the consumer awareness of the health and nutritional benefits of the indigenous fruits. That is why they are even undervalued in the market compared with exotic fruit species.”
Image: MUSEMBI NZENGU
On his part the Kitui county assistant forest conservator, Stanley Marioko, also admits that most indigenous traditional fruit have great value on peoples’ health.
“They have high medicinal value but we have sadly lost most of them,” Marioko said during an interview in his office, adding that traditional fruit trees faced extinction due to human activity.
He said Kitui residents were encouraged to stop felling the high value wild fruit trees for any reason whatsoever but take up farmer managed natural regeneration of the fruit trees.
Kitui executive for Environment and Natural Resources John Mwendandu is also worried about the depletion of the high value traditional fruit trees which he describes as orphaned.
“The indigenous fruit trees have very high nutritious values and body building properties. They grow naturally and have good fruits whose value most people are ignorant of.
“They are now orphaned because little care and attention is given to them these days,” he said.
Speaking in his office, Mwanduka, however, said all was not lost as he had plans to initiate conservation and preservation of indigenous fruits trees found in Kitui county.
“We have plans to document on all the indigenous fruit trees available in Kitui and encourage people not to fell them indiscriminately. These fruits have in the past been an integral part of our diets in the years gone by.”
He said not only will traditional fruits be listed, but their actual and specific nutritional value would be established, adding that the end game would be to add value and package the fruits for public consumption.
“We will look at the possibility of a special caution to conserve the traditional fruits trees. It is not a law but a caution on the need to preserve as opposed to felling the fruit tree for charcoal,” the executive said. BY THE STAR