|
|
 |
|
|
|
2002 Fruit Pulp Production Update - Girlie Njoni
"2002 season was very fruitful - our communities were full of enthusiasm and energy, and were very cooperative," says Girlie Njoni, Production Manager at Mhala Branch of Mineworkers Development Agency. "We managed to produce a record amount of fruit pulp, with an increase of 60% over last year. Better organisation and structures to control the process helped us see better results."
 The marula fruit season runs from December through to March, where the fruit is harvested by rural women who pick the ripened fruit from the ground. With 42 communities contributing to the marula season, Marula Natural Products Pty Ltd requires specific procedures and systems to make it work.
Other improvements for 2002 include reduction of wastage, which, according to Girlie Njoni, "decreased significantly because we restructured payments to make it more profitable for the women to provide quality fruit." Some key learnings from production include, "learning how to handle the fruit to prevent damages and increase yields."
Better handling of the fruit during processing allows for higher brix levels, which contributes to the saleability of the fruit pulp. Given the high cost of sugar and the demand for naturally sweet products, the importance of selecting the sweetest fruit and maximising extraction towards the end of the season when brix values are highest contributes to fruit drink producers' reduction of costs and improvement of quality.
|
|
|
