The pineapple fruit has served as a symbol of hospitality and warm welcome through the history of Americans. The pineapple’s exotic nature and sweetness has acquired both popularity and curiosity for centuries. In the 1600’s, King Charles posed for an official portrait while receiving a pineapple as a gift. “The pine apple then symbolized the warmest welcome a hostess could extend to her guest.”
Regardless of ones financial ability to actually buy and eat the pineapple, however, visitors to the homes that displayed the pineapple felt particularly honored that their hostess had spared no expense just to secure a pineapple in their behalf. Those who could not afford to buy it, could at least hire one from the elite.
"When George washingtone tasted Pineapple in 1751 in Barbados, he declared it his favourite tripical fruit."
Culture may change but the value and sweetness of a pineapple has remained unchanged. Yet, to the more that 600 Pineapple farmers in Mwinilunga a small town in the north western part of Zambia where the acidic earth suits the growing of this tropical fruit, this story about the value and popularity of a pineapple may just sound like one of these African folk stories.
If you go to Mwinilunga, it’s almost traditional that you don’t come back without a pineapple to give your friends. There are about 1,420 pineapple farmers in total growing pineapples on a total area of about 1,173 hectares of land, producing about 13,752 tons of pineapples annually with the potential to increase yields especially if out grower schemes are put in place. Yet a lot of this yield go to waste since the collapse of the only pineapple processing plant. Currently some pineapple fields have been left unattended due to lack of a pineapple canning factory in the area.
Honestly, you must be courageous enough to encourage these “frustrated farmers” to continue growing this sweat and “most popular” fruit or they will tell you to go to hell.
I guess this is a very good pineapple processing investment opportunity worth considering especially if you are looking for opportunities in Agro processing.
Who knows, you might just be one of the “angels” to rekindle these farmers hopes of realizing value out of their pineapples.
0 comments:
Post a Comment