This archive report was first published on 5 January 2022.
Jackfruit Takes Center Stage in Busia ¶
As the sun sets in Busia, a small town in Kenya, a local entrepreneur, James Wandera, is busy serving his clients with a fruit that has been a staple in the region for years - the jackfruit.
Wandera, who has been in the business for four years, sources his jackfruits from Mundka Sub-location and sells them to locals who consume them in small pieces due to their financial constraints.
"This fruit is called jackfruit or fenesi in Kiswahili," Wandera explains, adding that the fruit has 12 vitamins, fiber, proteins, and 25 medicinal values. He says that the fruit protects its consumers against diseases while at the same time providing them with a balanced diet.
Wandera's clients, including school-going children, swear by the fruit's ability to quell hunger and reduce gas in the stomach. "No matter how hungry you are, if you just eat a piece of this fruit worth Sh10, you only require drinking water then you become comfortable," says Fred Omuse, one of the customers.
Busia County has established a policy dubbed Busia County Biodiversity Policy, which aims at addressing nutrition concerns in the County. The policy covers the period of 2016 to 2023 and promotes traditional crops like guava, gooseberries, and jackfruit.
Scientifically, 100 grams of an edible portion of jackfruit has 72 percent water, 1.2 to 1.9 percent protein, 16 to 25 percent carbohydrates, 20 percent of sugar, some fiber, and calcium, 27 grams of magnesium, and 38 grams of phosphorus among other nutrients.
Wandera appeals to the County Government to assist farmers by connecting them with potential clients in Nairobi so that they can source the fruit from farmers due to its bulkiness and transportation costs.
"This fruit is liked and consumed by many Indians in Nairobi but it is very costly for farmers to transport them there," Wandera says, adding that transporting just one fruit costs around Sh400.
Wandera claims that the fruit has the ability to suppress cancer, adding that one of his neighbors healed from skin cancer after consuming dried jackfruit seeds.
Busia County is yet to explore other uses of this fruit like production of sugar syrup, jackfruit pudding, and flavoring other food items.
By Salome Alwanda, published on January 5, 2022.
