Sundaymail Editor
Michael Tome
Business Reporter
THE trade development and promotion body ZimTrade says Zimbabwe stands a chance to benefit from marula oil exports given the resource’s ubiquity in the country.
The marula/mapfura fruit is abundant in most parts of semi-arid rural Mwenezi and nearby areas like Mberengwa.
In October last year, the Government set up a Mapfura Industrial Park, where processing and value addition of the fruit is now taking place, amid efforts to empower rural communities through beneficiation of available indigenous resources.
Marula oil is classified as an essential oil. It is a vital element for several skin care products given its ability to treat acne-prone, dry and ageing skin.
It is, thus, a sought-after product worldwide.
The oil contains a high concentration of antioxidants, essential fatty acids and amino acids. It also works well in maintaining hair hydrated, silky and supple.
The marula oil industry has been growing lately and the value of essential oils exports worldwide rose to US$6 billion in 2021 from US$5, 4 billion in 2017.
As it stands, Africa accounts for approximately 5 percent of global essential oil exports, as it exported essential oils worth US$277 million in 2021.
According to Trade Map, Madagascar was Africa’s top exporter of essential oils in 2021 with a value of US$77 million, followed by Egypt with US$56 million, South Africa with US$52 million and Morocco with US$35 million.
Marula concentrates can be used to make juices and edible oils, among other products, and there has been an increase in their consumption worldwide.
“Marula oil has the potential to be exported to markets such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland, which import a number of specialist vegetable oils from developing countries.
“Additionally, other European nations use these countries as trade hubs, which gives the exporter access to other markets,” said ZimTrade in its September issue.
However, this oil’s competitiveness is determined by elements such as quality, supply capacity, certification, origin stories and traceability.
National Biotechnology Authority OF Zimbabwe (NBAZ) chief executive officer, Dr Dexter Savadye, told The Sunday Mail Business that the Marula Industrial Park was currently producing marula wine as a primary product and the intention going forward was to produce marula oil as a secondary product.
He said his institution was currently testing the viability of marula oil expression and was confident that the most lucrative value will come from the oil.
“Demand for marula oil is already high, especially in Europe, and as NBAZ, we are already working on how to venture into the export market.
“We are actually building our capacity to produce the oil. We have about 400 000 tonnes of marula kernels from last season collections, which we intend to crack so that we produce oil.
“So far, we have been allowing the kernels to dry up, so that they have the right moisture content to start oil expression,” said Dr Savadye.
The established marula factory produces 75 000 litres of concentrated juice per month.
It gets the key raw material from communities in the vicinity, mainly during January and May.
Marula is a drought-resistant perennial tree that grows abundantly in Zimbabwe compared to other mild frost-free sections of sub-equatorial Africa.
One tree may produce up to 500 kilogrammes of fruit per year, with an average crop output of roughly 30 kg per tree.
Large trees can bear far more fruit, up to 70 000 fruits on a single tree.
A marula tree may live for up to 150 years. Developing it as a commercial crop could, thus, be crucial for future attempts to promote environmental sustainability.
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