Chapters 8.46

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8.46-Value Addition of Berries to Smallholder Farmers


Kate Lamont, University of Guelph, Canada

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Suggested citation for this chapter.

Lamont,K. (2022) Value Addition of Berries to Smallholder Farmers ,In Farmpedia, The Encyclopedia for Small Scale Farmers. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.farmpedia.org

Introduction

Improving the value addition of berries in developing countries could significantly benefit smallholder farmers. These nations have many indigenous fruits and berries (e.g. Kucich and Wicht, 2016). Berry production and yields are high in many developing nations including in Africa, therefore working with berries to increase the price could be a valuable idea (FAOSTAT, 2018). The yield for berries (i.e. strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc.) in Africa was 57712 hg/ha in 2016 (FAOSTAT, 2018), while the total production in Africa was 3235 tonnes (FAOSTAT, 2018). These are significant numbers for Africa’s berry industry. Instead of these crops being sold fresh, with significant losses due to spoilage, the value of these crops can be increased post-harvest by drying the fruits, creating jams, jellies and juices, and creating edible meals and baked goods.

Dried Fruit

Drying berries is highly advantageous for smallholder farmers (DeLong, 2006). Dried fruits increase the natural flavours and nutrients, reduce the storage space required and are fairly inexpensive (DeLong, 2006). Dried fruits become more nutritious because the caloric and, potentially, nutrient concentrations of the dried berries double (DeLong, 2006). Drying the berries destroys fewer vitamins than canning fruit (DeLong, 2006). As well, nutrient loss while drying fruit is significantly less than when the fruit is cooked (DeLong, 2006). Drying the berries is beneficial as carbohydrates, minerals and fiber are not affected or lost (DeLong, 2006). This is a fairly inexpensive solution, because the fruit can be dried in the hot sun of the Tropics and Subtropics including in Africa (DeLong, 2006). These dried berries are best stored in glass jars and air tight packaging to enhance the quality and storage time (DeLong, 2006). Dried fruits, such as berries, take one-tenth to one-twentieth of the storage volume than that of frozen or canned fruits and last longer which is extremely beneficial to a smallholder farmer (DeLong, 2006). These berries can be sold for a fraction of the price that dried berries will sell for (DeLong, 2006). Packaging of these berries is very important as it can significantly increase the market value of these products just by making the packaging look appealing and professional (DeLong, 2006).

Jam and Jellies

Jams/jellies are another good way of improving the berry market value for smallholder farmers. Transporting this product to the market has advantages as it lasts a long time before it spoils (Zhao, 2007). It is not an entirely cost free way of increasing the market value of these berries as there are some important ingredients needed (Zhao, 2007). Jams or jellies typically require over 50% of the mixture to be sugar, with the rest being water and berries (Zhao, 2007). This combination needs to be heated, mixed and then put into airtight containers (Zhao, 2007). As well, a jam processing machine can be bought at fairly cheap prices. These prices have a large range but many less pricey machines range from about $100 to $800 (Alibaba, 2018). These appliances last for about 6 to 10 years but are beneficial to these smallholder farmers as less manual labour would be needed and a large amount of jam and jellies could be made (Alibaba, 2018). The profit that these smallholder farms make off of these machines would make back the price it cost them to buy the machine. Creating appealing packaging would further increase the value of these jams and jellies (Zhao, 2007).

Juice

The value of the berry crop for a smallholder farmer can be increased significantly by making these berries into berry juice (Strobel, 1984). Although the market value would increase significantly, making juice requires money to be put into creating it. The majority of the juice mixture is 80% to 90% water, with 20-40% being the juice from the berries (Strobel, 1984). This juice can also be mixed with other products as well as sugar, in order to give the juice a sweeter flavour, as opposed to a more sour, bitter flavour depending on the given berry (Strobel, 1984). These berries can also be used to make a juice concentrate that require about 65% of the juice from the berries and 7% to 20% of other soluble substances such as sugar (Strobel, 1984). This berry juice concentrate can be frozen and kept for a long time (Strobel, 1984). This is very beneficial to smallholder farmers because during delivery this product will not go bad, but it requires refrigeration which is typically not available in remote rural areas. The berry juice concentrate contains little to no water which makes it lighter in weight to transport (Strobel, 1984). There is some labour involved in the juice making process as these smallholder farmers will need to hand mash their berries into juice. A juice processor and juice maker can also be bought in order to reduce the amount of labour involved (Strobel, 1984). The packaging of this product could also significantly increase the product value by making is appealing to consumers in grocery stores and supermarkets.

Edible Meals and Treats

Although edible meals could potentially be more expensive, smallholder farmers could benefit by incorporating their berry products into these. Edible meals and treats include cookies, baked goods, bread, stews and porridges, which adds vitamins and minerals (DeLong, 2006). There may be transportation constraints for these products, and they may need to be sold locally.

Packaging and Labelling

Packaging and labelling plays a very significant role in increasing the price of smallholder farmer products such as berries. Product value will significantly increased if the product looks appealing, as this will make consumers want to purchase the product.. Products, such as jam and jellies, can be stored in small, highly inexpensive mason jars. These mason jar prices range from $0.05 to $0.40 each (Alibaba, 2018). These jars will ensure the product will be preserved while also giving it an appealing look to attract consumers. Custom labelling for these products can be purchased at very low prices ranging from $0.01 to $0.20 per piece (Alibaba, 2018). Purchasing mason jars and labelling for these products will significantly increase the profits of smallholder farmers and cooperatives.

References

1. Best Quality Peanut Maker Fruit Jam Processing Machine Jam Making Machine - Buy Jam Making Machine, Jam Making Machine, Fruit Jam Processing Machine Product on Alibaba.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Best-quality-peanut-maker-fruit-jam_1727928909.html?spm=a2700.7724857.normalList.34.3fc745e6M0iZPQ

2. DeLong, Deanna. How to Dry Foods. HPBooks, 2006. New York, New York. Retrieved from https://books.google.ca/books?hl=en&lr=&id=h9aA0ImIqLMC&oi=fnd&pg=PR2&dq=how+to+dry+foods+by+deanna+delong&ots=Q4Rbm7PLo6&sig=ybpeONV8CGgTunxS_9AVoFpekiM#v=onepage&q=how%20to%20dry%20foods%20by%20deanna%20delong&f=false

3. FAOSTAT: Crops. (2018). Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QC

4. Kucich, D. A., & Wicht, M. M. (2016). South African indigenous fruits – Underutilized resource for boosting daily antioxidant intake among local indigent populations? South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition,29(4), 150-156. doi:10.1080/16070658.2016.1219470

5. Strobel, R. G. (1984). Process for Preparing a Citrus Fruit Juice Concentrate. United States Patent, 4463025. Retrieved from https://patents.google.com/patent/US4463025A/en

6. Zhao, Yanyun. Berry Fruit Value-Added Products for Health Promotion. CRC Press, 2007. New York, New York. Retrieved from https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781420006148

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