Features (Page 11)

Guava (Psidium guajava) is valued for its delectable taste and aroma. Guava can be considered as the ‘apple of the tropics’ for its high vitamin C and mineral content. It is native to tropical America where it occurs wild. Early Spanish and Portuguese colonizers brought it to New World, theContinue Reading

 Ishigaki Island is a part of the Yaeyama Islands, located southwest of Okinawa Prefecture. It is 410 km away from the main island of Okinawa and 1,950 km away from Tokyo City. With an area of 222.6 square meters, this small island is famous for its mangoes. In summer, mangoContinue Reading

Author:  Babasola Ayodele Adelaja, Director (Fruits and Spices), National Horticultural Research Institute, Idi-Ishin, Ibadan, Nigeria   It has been difficult to find an appropriate classification for the Baobab (Adansonia digitata – Bombacaceae) tree, considering its usefulness to man, livestock and the environment.  Call it a multipurpose tree and that willContinue Reading

Pomelo (Citrus grandis), the biggest citrus in the world, has a seductingly sweet and deliciously tart taste. Originating in  Southest Asia, legend has it that British seafarer Captain Shaddock brought pomelo to the Caribbean that led to its english name “shaddock.” It was then crossbred with sweet orange that gaveContinue Reading

China’s import of durian increased by 20.41% from 2009 to 2010, with a value of US$149.55 million. Malaysia succeeded in exporting approximately 200 metric tons of frozen durian to China, valued about 5 million USD. More details can be read here.   Here is Malaysia’s step-by-step process in preparing frozen durian pulpContinue Reading

Sapodilla or Manilkara zapota is a tropical fruit that can be found grown in South East Asia, South Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. It is believed to have been originated from the Yucatan and Southern parts of Mexico, and later spread to other countries around the Equatorial belt.Continue Reading

With a planted oil palm area of 4.9 million hectares, Malaysia is second to Indonesia as the world’s biggest palm oil producers. About 420 oil palm mills in Malaysia grapple with the amount of waste generated in the palm oil extraction process.   On the average, a palm oil millContinue Reading

Though it lies in the Tropics, Sudan’s climate ranges from arid in the North to tropical in the South West.   Arid and semi- arid areas are characterised by erratic and low precipitation of 700 mm per annum, experience periodic drought, poor vegetation and poor soils. The area north ofContinue Reading

Dr. Edna Anit of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) provided an overview of the minor tropical fruit industry in the Philippines. Dr. Anit is currently the head of the minor tropical fruits research in PCAARRD. The area of minor tropical fruit productionContinue Reading