There is a great demand for fruit trees in the Sahel. The trees are often easy to maintain and they are also more profitable than vegetables. The markets for various fruits in the Sahel are seasonal and the prices of fruits drop during the harvest season. Good conservation of fruits may stimulate and develop fruit production. Fruit production in the Sahel may develop through the production of juice from various fruits. In Europe, there is a strong demand for different tropical juices. For the time being, there are three juice-producing companies in Burkina Faso. Another way to preserve fruits is to dry them. 

Dates

The Sahel has an appropriate climate for date production. The date palm in the Sahel begins producing fruits 6 to 7 years after plantation. It is advised to plant 100 date trees per hectare. Each date palm can produce 5 kg of dates per year, corresponding to 500 kg of dates per hectare. The date has a high energy content and can be well preserved (IPALAC 2006). However, the varieties of dates grown in the Sahel do not fulfil the quality condition required for export and ICRISAT has imported better quality varieties from Arab countries.  

The date has male and female plants. Pollination is a necessity to produce dates. Pollination can occur naturally or in an artificial manner. During the rainy season, each plant needs an average of 100 litres of water per day while in the hot season the need is 500 litres per day (source D.Pasternak). The date palm requires more water than any other plant.

The Sahel apple

Zizyphus mauritania is a common tree in the Sahel. ICRISAT has given the popular name of Sahel Apple to this tree. The tree is highly appreciated thanks to its sweet fruits. The fruits are quite small, but it has been demonstrated that it is possible to graft improved varieties of Zizyphus mauritania from India to the rootstock of local Zizyphus mauritania. The grafted zizyphus produce much larger and sweeter fruits and the yield is also much higher than local varieties. Each grafted Zizyphus mauritania plant can produce 30 kg of Sahel apples per year. To have such a yield, fertilizer application is required, and so are treatments against the fruit attacking flies. An initial spraying with Karate insecticides three weeks before harvest and a second spraying with the Malathion near harvest are recommended. The Sahel apple must also be pruned each year as the fruits develop on new branches. The Katheli and Bengourion varieties are less attacked than the Gola variety. However, the latter is the most widely found in the Sahel. The Gola variety must therefore be replaced by the two new varieties (source D.Pasternak). It is recommended to plant 100 trees per hectare. This corresponds to a production of 3000 kg per hectare in normal circumstances. The medium price for the Sahel apple is FCFA 300 per kg, which yields a gross return of FCFA 900,000 per hectare. 

The mango tree

The mango tree is a fruit tree from India that was introduced into West Africa in the 19th century. This is an important tree in areas with a rainfall level higher than 700 to 800 mm. It is a good source of vitamin A. In rural areas, mangos are often available only 2 to 3 months. By introducing new varieties, it is possible to extend the period when mangoes are available. This can contribute to improving nutrition and increasing farmers’ revenues. 

Mango trees are normally planted with a space of 10*10 meters (Vannière and al.2004) 12 to 16 months after sowing the stocks.

The Amelie, Kent and Keitt varieties are the most important on the export market (Rey and al.2004). The Amelie variety is the earliest, but it can be stored less time than the other varieties. The Kent variety ripens between May and July in Bamako. The Keitt variety is the latest-maturing of these three varieties. This variety produces fruits until August in Bamako.  

Other fruit trees

The other important fruit trees in the Sahel are the tamarind (photo), the fig tree, Saba senegalensis, Lannea microphylla and Sclerocalaria microphylla.

The tamarind produces a very popular fruit with a highly appreciated juice. This tree must not be pruned. This species is well adapted to degraded soils.

The fig tree is very productive in Sahelian countries if the rainfall is above 700 mm. Saba senegalensis and Lannea microphylla are trees producing sweet and bitter fruits. The Sclerocalaria berrea is a fruit tree which is well adapted to degraded soils.

 printer friendly