E100M MARULA INDUSTRY UNDER THREAT

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.

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