Peach palm - World Agroforestry Centre

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6 0 Peach palm. Bactris gasipaes Kunth • Brazil – produced mainly in the states of Acre, Espirito Santo, Bahia, São Paulo and Pará. At least 6000 ha were planted as of 1996 (Bovi 1997). • Ecuador – produced mainly near Santo Domingo de los Caballeros west of the Andes Mountains; some also produced near Guayaquil, near the Pacific Coast, and in the Napo region of the Amazon Basin. In total there are approximately 4000 ha as of 1996. • Peru – is planning to plant 10 000 ha by the year 2002 in the Peruvian Amazon Basin (Iquitos, Pucallpa, Yurimaguas) (J. Weber, pers. observ.). • Bolivia – is planting an additional 4000 ha during 1997-98. Although the international market for heart-of-palm is still small and expanding slowly, it is becoming increasingly important for the economies of some producing countries (Mora-Urpí et al. 1991; Torres 1992). For example, the European Community paid US$1.51-2.22/kg in 1994 and US$2.15-3.26/kg in 1995 for imported canned heart-of-palm (mostly from Euterpe species, higher price for ‘quality’ than for ‘caulinar’ type; source: Marketing Department, Consejo Nacional de Producción, Costa Rica). Costa Rica increased its contribution to this market from 24% in 1994 to 41% in 1995, and the heart-of-palm was entirely from cultivated peach palm. The major importing countries in 1995 were France (30%), Argentina (27%), United States (11%), Spain (7%), Canada, Chile, Israel and Italy (3-5% each). The demand for fresh heart-of-palm is increasing rapidly in Brazil. Fresh heartof-palm had a large market before E. edulis was driven to economic extinction, and now the demand is being fed by the expansion of peach palm plantations in southern Brazil. Fresh heart-of-palm was introduced successfully into the Hawaiian market (Clement et al. 1993, 1996), and is attracting a lot of attention in Asia. Fresh heart-of-palm and the ‘caulinar’ heart are now being introduced into markets in the central United States. Considering the interest in fresh heart-ofpalm expressed by gourmet chefs, and the prices that they are willing to pay (US$6/ lb in Hawaii in 1995), the market for fresh heart-of-palm has enormous potential, and perhaps more potential than the market for processed heart-of-palm. The incomes from peach palm plantations for heart-of-palm and fruit are roughly equivalent in Costa Rica (Mora-Urpí, unpublished data). Beginning in the second year, a heart-of-palm plantation yields an average of 10 000 stems ha-1 year- 1 and generates about US$2800 ha-1 year-1 gross income for a farmer. With proper management of offshoots, production may be maintained but it is not known for how long. The oldest heart-of-palm plantation was established in 1974 in Sarapiquí, Costa Rica and is still in production. Villachicha (1996) provides a detailed economic analysis of production costs for peach palm hearts in Peru.
Promoting the conservation and use of underutilized and neglected crops. 20. 61 11 Limitations and prospects of the crops The major limitations of these food crops are related to management and marketing. Most plants have spines on the stems and leaves, which makes the harvest of fruit and heart-of-palm both difficult and dangerous. In addition, fruit harvesting becomes increasingly more difficult as the palm grows in height. Selection and breeding for spineless, semidwarf peach palms are underway in Costa Rica to overcome these limitations. Most stems produce relatively few offshoots per year, and the offshoots are often difficult to propagate and/or establish in the field. Improved methods for propagation and establishment of offshoots, and methods to stimulate offshoot production, are being investigated in Peru (H. Jaenicke, J.C. Weber and C. Sotelo-Montes, unpublished data). The major limitations to expanded commercialization of peach palm’s products, especially fruit products, are related to product development and entrepreneurial interest. There are not enough entrepreneurs interested in commercializing peach palm because: (1) high-quality products are not being developed, (2) entrepreneurs do not have the marketing information necessary to promote these products, (3) improved germplasm appropriate for these products is lacking, and (4) production costs/benefits using the improved germplasm are not available. There is considerable potential for expanded commercialization of peach palm fruit and heart-of-palm, with consequent economic development in farming communities of Central and South America. Commercialization of fruit products could also improve food security for small-scale farmers and their domestic animals, which is a major concern in some regions (Brodie et al. 1997). In the long term, the fruit may become as important worldwide as the heart-of-palm because of its food value, suitability for a range of products and potential for sustainable production on the poor soils of the humid tropics. Heart-of-palm has greater immediate commercial potential, however, considering the growing markets for this gourmet food (Villachica 1996). Many farmers recognize the potential value of peach palm fruit. For example, ICRAF and collaborating institutes (Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agrarias, Instituto de Investigación de la Amazonía Peruana, Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina) investigated farmers’ preferences for tree species in the western Amazon Basin of Peru. Farmers interviewed around Iquitos, Yurimaguas and Pucallpa value more than 150 tree species for agroforestry systems, but peach palm is one of their most preferred species, especially around Iquitos and Yurimaguas (C. Sotelo-Montes and J.C. Weber, unpublished data). Peach palm fruit is currently the third most valuable food crop produced by farmers around Iquitos and Yurimaguas, and the seventh most valuable food crop produced around Pucallpa (R. Labarta-Chevarri and J.C. Weber, unpublished data). Small-scale farmers in Iquitos and Yurimaguas currently dedicate about 72% of their annual production of peach palm fruit for sale in local markets, with average annual profits of about US$900 in Iquitos and US$300 in Yurimaguas. The remaining fruit is consumed onfarm (human food and animal ration) or traded with neighbouring farmers for
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Peach palm - World Agroforestry Centre

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