Tree Crops Development in Africa and Asia to Benefit the Poor - Fruit Component

The goal of the project is to reduce rural poverty in Kenya and Mali by promoting wealth and health of poor farming communities through enhanced cultivation, processing, marketing and use of a diversity of fruit trees. The proposed project also aims at contributing to the transition of small-scale farming systems from subsistence farming to intensified semi-commercial farming of fruit trees and of small-scale private or community tree nurseries and micro-processors to more business-oriented a nd profitable enterprises. Specifically, the project has the following objectives: Analyse the status quo of the whole fruit sector (including current seedling supply systems, production, processing, domestic/export markets and consumption) and its potentials/challenges to develop impact-oriented interventions and site-specific fruit tree portfolios. Provide farmers with access to high quality fruit tree planting material by establishing sustainable, decentralized seedling supply systems (the Rural Resource Centre model). Increase and disseminate knowledge on improved fruit tree propagation and on-farm tree management techniques. Build capacity of fruit producers and micro-processors on fruit post-harvest technologies, value adding, marketing and business skills. Increase awareness on the health benefits of regular fruit consumption of rural and urban households, particularly of children.