Litchi cultivar brings farmers, researchers together

The Agricultural Research Council (ARC) hosted the Litchi Cultivar at the Tropical and Subtropical Crops campus in Mbombela in January.

Researchers, small-scale farmers, growers and buyers from KwaZuluNatal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo attended the annual event.

According to ARC, the objective of the event is to educate communities and those involved in growing fruit on how the cultivation of fruit trees can contribute to long-term food security, equally strengthening rural economies.

Senior manager of marketing and communications services, Joy Nonzukiso Peter, said: “Litchis are rich in essential nutrients, including vitamin C, vitamin B-complex, potassium, and dietary fibre. By promoting the cultivation and consumption of litchis, the event contributes to diversifying diets and enhancing nutritional intake.”

This year’s cultivar featured a display and tasting of the recently imported litchi cultivars, litchi-flavoured dairy products including ice cream and drinking yoghurt and dried snacks.

ARC researcher Andani Mmboyi said: “With the growing population across the sub-Saharan region, planting a fruit tree per household can help reduce hunger through nutritional fruit trees. Cultivar days allow relevant stakeholders to influence the selection of the desirable fruits that should go to the market.

“What we think is good is not always what the industry is looking for. That is why stakeholder inputs are important. They get to express their preferences of the fruit in terms of taste, how they feel and look.” –