Peach palm - World Agroforestry Centre

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Peru (H. Jaenicke, J.C. Weber and C. Sotelo-Montes, unpublished data).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