Times Of Swaziland: E100M MARULA INDUSTRY UNDER THREAT

E100M MARULA INDUSTRY UNDER THREAT
================================================================================
Timothy Simelane on 29/01/2024 08:47:00


MBABANE – The effects of climate change are biting deep into the rural
communities, as the harvest of marula products was dealt a substantial blow this
season, threatening the existence of the industry estimated to be worth E100
million.
Devastating hailstorms battered and stripped marula trees of the potent fruit,
shattering whole communities’ hopes for income. People who process the marula
traditional beverage (buganu) said this week that over the years, they sold each
25-litre container for E370. They managed to sell at least 30 of the 25-litre
containers per season, earning roughly E11 250 in the two months of the marula
season, on average. A study supported by the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) recently found that the number of marula trees is estimated at
two million nationwide.
Products
It further reveals that each tree produces an average of 500 litres of the
marula beverage. This puts the rough estimate of the marula industry at E100
million on an annual basis. This amount excludes the commercialisation of other
marula products (apart from the traditional beverage). Active marula brewers,
who are mourning the loss this year include communities of Mtfongwaneni,
Logwazela, Ethembeni, Bulunga, Ngculwini, Ntabamhloshana, Mafutseni, Bhudla,
Mkhuzweni, Mkhondvo, Sidvokodvo and others. Effectively, marula brewers within
most parts of the Manzini Region were affected. The initial storm struck the
region towards the end of November last year, which was followed by a more
severe hailstorm, on December 8, sealing the fate of marula brewers.
Hloniphile Gadlela of Mafutseni was found with a group of women processing the
marula brew by extracting the seeds from the fruit. “This is what I do every
year. I’m not employed, so I have to work something with my hands, to support
my family. Over the years, I have used the money to buy food, pay for
children’s school fees and even buy household goods,” she said.
Gadlela said none of the marula fruits she was processing were collected from
Mafutseni. “We had to hire cars to bring the fruit all the way from
Manjengeni, in northern Hhohho. Our trees were shaken by the heavy winds and
hailstorms, just as they were bearing fruits. We were so disappointed,” she
said. Gadlela said on average, she made 30 of 25-litre containers per season and
had been a supplier for some regular customers. She said she was not aware of
Swati Secrets, a beneficiation company that deals with other marula products,
apart from the alcohol. “I always throw away the seeds after extracting them
from the fruit. I did not know there was a company specialising in them,” she
said.
Meanwhile, Bonisile Nkomo of Ethembeni, under the Mtfongwaneni Inkhundla, said
she had to walk over three kilometres, in search of marula fruits last week.
“In past years, I simply collected the fruit from the trees close to my home.
However, it has been a struggle this time around. I doubt if I will make even
two 25-litre containers, because the fruit is very scarce.
Hailstorm
“The hailstorm knocked down the fruit before it was ripe this year,” she
said.  Nkomo said in the past years, she sold a 25-litre containers for E250,
because marula was not scarce in her community. “This time around, I will
definitely put a higher price, because I really struggled to get the fruit,”
she said. Mtfongwaneni Indvuna Yenkhundla Themba Nxumalo said areas affected in
his constituency included Logwazela, Ndoda, Ethembeni and others. “The number
of homesteads that were affected by the hailstorm was between 700-800 and a
number of the people rely on marula to pay school fees for thier children. I
have just been to the schools to discuss a possible solution to the high number
of children who were removed from class because they had not paid school
fees,” he said.
Nxumalo said most parents reported having relied on proceeds from the sale of
marula over the years, to pay school fees and buy uniform for their children.
Mtfongwaneni Bucopho, Musa Gadlela also concurred with Nxumalo, saying in one
season, some people were making E3 000 from the sale of marula beer. “During
the official opening of schools, parents usually negotiate with head teachers to
allow children into class, with the promise of paying the school fees by the end
of the marula season. “However, this season, things have turned for the worst
because parents cannot promise to pay with marula proceeds. Head teachers are
not compromising and have sent the pupils home,” he said. Gadlela said the
families were relying on God’s provision for sustenance, following the hail
storms. “They were still mourning the damaged roofs and windows; now they have
to be worried about their loss of income from the marula brew,” he said.